Department of Health and Social Care

Public Health: Finance

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on substance misuse services of the removal of the ring fenced public health grant to local authorities in April 2019.

Steve Brine: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 6 November 2018 to Question 185077.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many sites currently provide the HPV vaccine to gay and bisexual men by region.

Steve Brine: The human papillomavirus vaccination programme for men that have sex with men is being introduced via a phased rollout. There are approximately 233 HIV and sexual health clinics nationally and 151 of these are already offering the programme. NHS England anticipates that rollout will be complete by next year. Of the 151 clinics offering the vaccine 33 are in the North; 45 in the Midlands and East; 36 in the South and 37 in London.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the uptake has been of the HPV vaccine for gay and bisexual men by region since April 2018.

Steve Brine: Data on the human papillomavirus vaccine uptake since April 2018 is not available at this time.

Genito-urinary Medicine: Finance

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report entitled Taking our health for granted: Plugging the public health grant funding gap, published in October 2018, if he will make an assessment of the effect of reductions to sexual health budgets highlighted in that report.

Steve Brine: The Government has mandated local authorities to commission comprehensive open access sexual health services. Local authorities are best placed to understand and meet the public health needs of their local communities. While councils have had to make savings, they have also shown that good results can be achieved at the same time. The total number of attendances at sexual health services nationally increased 13% between 2013 and 2017 (from 2,940,779 to 3,323,275). To help manage the overall increase in demand, local authorities have been utilising technology to manage lower risk and asymptomatic patients. Free, confidential online services which are convenient for patients are increasingly being commissioned. As these services develop, they also have the potential to reach groups not currently engaged with clinical services.

Preventive Medicine

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the radical upgrade in prevention discussed in the NHS Five Year Forward View of October 2014 has been achieved.

Steve Brine: As set out in the Government vision on prevention, the NHS England's Five Year Forward View (2014) and General Practice Forward View (2016) have both developed and taken forward actions and investment to enable a greater focus on primary and community services. Now is the time to build on this and make ‘prevention is better than cure’ a reality in all parts of the country.

Public Health: Finance

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report entitled Taking our health for granted: Plugging the public health grant funding gap, published in October 2018, whether he plans to increase central government funding for local authority public health services as a result of that report.

Steve Brine: Indicative local authority public health grant allocations for 2019/20 are available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-health-grants-to-local-authorities-2018-to-2019 Future funding for local authorities’ public health responsibilities will be a matter for the next Spending Review.

Public Health England: Drinkaware Trust

Dr Paul Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October to Question 176664 on Public Health England: Drinkaware Trust, for what reason it was decided that Public Health England would not consult its Alcohol Leadership Board before beginning a partnership with Drinkaware.

Dr Paul Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will place in the Library a copy of the terms of reference for the Public Health England Alcohol Leadership Board.

Dr Paul Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of recent concerns raised by British public health academics on the potential threat to Public Health England’s reputation of partnering with an alcohol industry-funded body.

Steve Brine: The Alcohol Leadership Board meets every three months. Public Health England (PHE) did not consult with its Alcohol Leadership Board before beginning a partnership with Drinkaware because the timing of the campaign was such that the Alcohol Leadership Board was informed at the first opportunity once there was certainty about the collaboration. A copy of the terms of reference for the PHE Alcohol Leadership Board is attached. PHE will be commissioning an independent evaluation of the ‘Drink Free Days’ campaign, which will include an assessment of the impact on PHE’s reputation. The evaluation and subsequent peer review of the Drink Free Days campaign will be complete by May 2019. Initial indications are that the campaign has been well received by the public.



PQ188254,255,256 attached document
(Word Document, 71.09 KB)

Cannabis: Misuse

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2018 to Question 179178, on Cannabis: Misuse, whether the results of the monitoring of cannabis seized by The National Crime Agency in (a) 2005, (b) 2008 and (c) 2016 concurred with the findings of the research on the strength of cannabis covering that same time period by King’s College London; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Brine: The Department does not hold information about the strength of cannabis seized by the National Crime Agency. Therefore, we cannot confirm the findings in the research published by King’s College London.

Public Health: Finance

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of the planned £85 million cuts to local authority public health budgets for 2019-2020 on (a) access to sexual health services and (b) rates of sexually transmitted infections.

Steve Brine: The Government has mandated local authorities to commission comprehensive open access sexual health services. Local authorities are best placed to understand and meet the public health needs of their local communities. While councils have had to make savings, they have also shown that good results can be achieved at the same time. The total number of attendances at sexual health services nationally increased 13% between 2013 and 2017 (from 2,940,779 to 3,323,275). To help manage the overall increase in demand, local authorities have been utilising technology to manage lower risk and asymptomatic patients. Free, confidential online services which are convenient for patients are increasingly being commissioned. As these services develop, they also have the potential to reach groups not currently engaged with clinical services.

Electronic Cigarettes

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support his Department provides to organisations that support people to stop smoking through the encouragement of the take-up of vaping.

Steve Brine: Public Health England (PHE) provides a range of resources to organisations and healthcare professionals that support people to stop smoking, including advice and guidance on e-cigarettes. PHE also commissioned the National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training and the New Nicotine Alliance to produce a series of videos to support members of the public to switch from smoking cigarettes to vaping. These videos are available at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClzwyrg7Wv3LxObo9R1fV9A

Electronic Cigarettes

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to promote Public Health England’s advice to allow vaping indoors.

Steve Brine: Public Health England produced advice for organisations to create vaping policies that are right for them. The advice included the following five principles; to make clear the distinction between vaping and smoking; to ensure policies are informed by the evidence on health risks to bystanders; to identify and manage risks of uptake by children and young people; to support smokers to stop smoking and stay smoke free; and, to support compliance with smokefree law and policy. The guidance was shared with stakeholders when published, and the documents are available to view at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/use-of-e-cigarettes-in-public-places-and-workplaces Using this advice, organisations can decide whether they will allow vaping indoors.

Diabetes: Medical Equipment

Sandy Martin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his department has made of the (a) level of and (b) reasons for the variation between Clinical Commissioning Groups in the prescription of continuous glucose monitors for young people suffering from type 1 diabetes.

Steve Brine: The Department has made no assessment. Ultimately it is for clinical commissioning groups, who are primarily responsible for commissioning diabetes services, to meet the requirements of their population. In doing so, they need to ensure that the services they provide are fit for purpose, reflect the needs of the local population, including young people, are based on the available evidence and take into account national guidelines.

Vaccination

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps with his EU counterparts to increase public confidence in vaccination.

Steve Brine: Public Health England (PHE) works closely with colleagues across the European Union including the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe to optimise public confidence in vaccination. PHE commissions two annual tracking surveys of attitudes to vaccination: the attitudes of parents of children aged under five years old, and the attitudes of parents and teenagers to vaccination to monitor confidence and inform programme development. Confidence in the programme in England is at very high levels and the vast majority of parents choose to have their children protected by vaccination. Further information on the attitudes to vaccination surveys are available to view at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/parental-attitudes-to-vaccination-in-young-children#annual-survey-2017

Audiology: Paediatrics

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of Monday 22 October 2018 to Question 180843 on a national tariff for paediatric audiology services, if he will provide a web link to the national tariffs referred to in that answer.

Caroline Dinenage: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 1 November 2018 to Question 184442.

Methotrexate

Melanie Onn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure the (a) supply and (b) availability of the drug Methotrexate after the UK leaves the EU.

Steve Brine: The United Kingdom’s position on medicines regulation remains clear. We are working to retain a close working partnership with the European Union to ensure that medicines remain available to UK patients in a safe and timely manner. We have been clear that this involves us making sure our regulators continue to work together, as they do with regulators internationally.

Anorexia and Asperger's Syndrome

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what studies his Department has conducted on a possible link between Asperger's syndrome and anorexia.

Caroline Dinenage: The Medical Research Council is currently funding a study of adolescent anorexia nervosa patients with autism spectrum disorder symptoms: ‘The Triple A study (Adolescents with Anorexia and Autism): A search for biomarkers’. The research aims to identify vulnerable patients, at an early stage, who may be unlikely to respond to current treatment for anorexia, with the longer-term aim of shaping individualised support and treatment strategies. The study is led by King's College London and is due to conclude next year.

Dental Services: Babies

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will support the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry campaign to encourage parents to take their children to the dentist before they are one year old.

Steve Brine: The Government is committed to improving dental health in children, as set out in the Government’s policy paper ‘Prevention is better than cure : our vision to help you live well for longer’ published on 5 November 2018 which is available at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/753688/Prevention_is_better_than_cure_5-11.pdf The Department welcomes campaigns such as the one by the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry. Early attendance to dental practices, as well as good oral hygiene, are key to laying the foundations for a lifetime of good oral health in children.

NHS Trusts: Standards

Clive Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his policy is on the application of the special administration process to NHS trusts.

Stephen Barclay: The Trust Special Administration (TSA) Regime is a bespoke, time-limited measure to address failure in National Health Service foundation trusts or NHS trusts. The TSA Regime introduced the role of Trust Special Administrator who would take over the failed trust with a dual role of running it and making recommendations for a sustainable long-term solution for its services. The Regime is intended to be used as a measure of last resort and under specific circumstances. Consequently, the Regime is likely to be used sparingly. There are a range of other measures which can be applied before the Regime is considered. The power to place NHS foundation trusts into the TSA regime sits with Monitor which is now part of NHS Improvement. The power for placing NHS trusts into TSA sits with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

Cannabis: Medical Treatments

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of NHS and medical professional body guidelines on the prescription of medicinal cannabis in ensuring the eligibility for prescription of patients for whom that treatment might be advantageous.

Steve Brine: The Medical Director of NHS England, Professor Steve Powis, and the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies, have written to relevant clinicians to coincide with the coming into force of the rescheduling of cannabis-based medicinal products. The guidance in this letter, which signposts interim clinical advice commissioned from the British Paediatric Neurology Association and the Royal College of Physicians, is in line with normal clinical practice. The decision to prescribe cannabis-based products for medicinal use will be made on a case-by-case basis, based on clinical need and in-line with existing governance procedures for prescribing unlicensed medicines. The Department has commissioned the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to produce clinical guidance by October 2019, which will update and replace the interim advice.

Mental Health: Children and Young People

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to publish the results of the most recent Children and Young People’s Mental Health prevalence survey.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Mental Health of Children and Young People Survey will be published by NHS Digital shortly.

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the October 2015 document Building the Right Support: A national implementation plan to develop community services and close inpatient facilities, how many hospital beds at the Calderstones site have been closed.

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the implementation of each local plan in the fast-track areas referred to in the October 2015 document Building the Right Support: A national implementation plan to develop community services and close inpatient facilities.

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many beds for people with learning disabilities and autism have been closed since 2015 in each of the six fast-track areas referred to in the October 2015 document Building the Right Support: A national implementation plan to develop  community services and close inpatient facilities.

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many of the 49 new Transforming Care Partnerships had agreed implementation plans for the delivery of co-ordinated services by the April 2016 deadline referred to in the October 2015 document Building the Right Support: A national implementation plan to develop community services and close inpatient facilities.

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to publish the progress review on Building the Right Support: A national implementation plan to develop community services and close inpatient facilities.

Caroline Dinenage: Building the Right Support, published in October 2015, set out the national plan to develop community services for people with learning disability and autism who are mental health inpatients, so they can leave hospital and receive more appropriate care and enjoy better outcomes in the community. This reduces the need for specialist inpatient beds. 140 beds (59% of the original total) at the Merseycare Whalley site, formerly known as Calderstones Hospital, have been closed by National Health Service commissioners over the last five years. The safety of patients remains the over-riding priority for the NHS, so appropriate support needs to be in place for everyone to ensure a smooth transition to any new care package or facility before beds are closed. Discussions about the timescales for formal closure of the site are ongoing. The attached table shows the reductions in numbers of beds in each of the fast-track Transforming Care Partnerships referred to in the Building the Right Support publication. During 2016/17, all Transforming Care Partnerships published local transformation plans. NHS England has commissioned an evaluation of progress made since publication of Building the Right Support. The report is expected to be published in 2019. Latest figures from NHS Digital show around a 19% reduction in people with a learning disability, autism or both in an inpatient setting from March 2015. Further improvement in outcomes, health and care for people with a learning disabilities and autism is a clinical priority as part of the long-term plan for the NHS, which will be published shortly.



Attached table
(Word Document, 12.97 KB)

Palliative Care: Finance

Thelma Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government plans to increase funding for end-of-life care; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Dinenage: As with the vast majority of NHS services, the funding and commissioning of palliative and end of life care, is a local matter, over which individual National Health Service commissioners have responsibility. Local commissioners are best placed to understand the needs of local populations and commission services to meet those needs accordingly. As part of the £20.5 billion a year for the NHS, NHS England is working with the Department to develop a long-term plan, details of which will be published later this year. End of life care is an important part of the proposals and NHS England will continue working with key stakeholders to test the plan before its publication.

Eating Disorders

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has undertaken a baseline audit of levels of (a) investment, (b) capacity and (c) in (i) inpatient and (ii) community services for adults with eating disorders.

Jackie Doyle-Price: In 2017/18, NHS England commissioned NHS Benchmarking to collect data on current levels of provision for adults with an eating disorder across community and inpatient services for adults with an eating disorder including levels of investment, mapping of services, quantifying the workforce, understanding waiting times and distances travelled for inpatient care. The outputs were reported to NHS England in 2018, and are being used by NHS England to assess levels of geographical variation, and to model the cost and workforce implications of any future commitments to service improvements.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Sandy Martin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has taken steps to ensure that benefits claimants in financial hardship can obtain letters which are required to progress their claims from their GP without having to pay for such letters; and if she will make a statement.

Sarah Newton: We advise claimants not to seek additional evidence in support of their claim which they may be charged for, such as from GPs. Where an assessment provider determines that additional medical evidence from a GP could prove helpful they will request that evidence from the GP directly. GPs are obliged through their contract with NHS England to provide the assessment provider with medical evidence for Employment and Support Allowance free-of-charge. For Personal Independence Payment, we pay GPs a standard fee (currently £33.50) for completing a General Practitioner Factual Report. In the Government’s response to the Work and Pensions Select Committee report on Personal Independence Payment and Employment and Support Allowance Assessments we set out our commitment to continue improving the customer experience for both, including opportunities for better data sharing.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Sandy Martin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance is provided to Job Centre staff on the Equality Act 2010 duty to make reasonable adjustments to enable disabled people to progress their claims.

Sarah Newton: Comprehensive guidance for Jobcentre staff about the Equality Act 2010 is included on the Department’s intranet site ‘Equality and You – a guide for employees’. This includes advice for staff on understanding what reasonable adjustments are and why the Department has a duty to provide them for claimants who are disabled.Where our customers advise us that they need assistance to access our services and information, we make reasonable adjustments to meet their individual needs. This means the Department communicates with customers in a variety of different formats such as Braille, audio, large print, through third party interpreters or by arranging for a member of staff to visit the customer in their home.Service delivery teams within Jobcentres provide a professional and supportive environment for our customers, providing digital coaching, helping claimants set up their claims and also maintaining them.Claimants who require additional support to complete a claim form have the option to book a one to one appointment with a member of the Service Delivery team to receive assistance. In addition telephony support is in place for those vulnerable claimants who cannot ‘self-serve’ online and where a claimant is unable to manage their own affairs, an appointee can act on their behalf, taking responsibility for making and maintaining any benefit claim.

Department for Work and Pensions: Billing

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of contracts issued by his Department and contractors include provisions to impose, as between parties to the subcontract, that any payment due from the contractor to a subcontractor under the contract is to be made no later than the end of a period of 30 days from the date on which the relevant invoice is regarded as valid and undisputed, as required by the Public Contract Regulations 2015.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) standard and short form contractual Terms and Conditions ensure the department meets the requirements of the Public Contact Regulations 2015 by including clauses that a contractor shall pay the sub-contractor no later than thirty (30) days from the date on which the Authority has determined that the invoice is valid and undisputed. Since the introduction of the requirement in March 2015 the vast majority of DWP contracts include these provisions.

Employment: Disability

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress has been made on the Government's 10-year target of getting one million disabled adults into employment.

Sarah Newton: We set out our continued commitment to improving employment rates for disabled people and people with long-term health conditions in Improving Lives: the Future of Work, Health and Disability. We believe people should get the support they need whatever their health condition or disability, whether that’s from their employer, from the health system or from the welfare system. We have invested in our Personal Support Package, which includes £330 million of funding over four years with a range of new interventions and initiatives designed to provide support that is tailored to the individual needs of claimants. We have recruited 300 additional Disability Employment Advisers and we are introducing 200 new Community Partners, bringing specialist advice and support into the Jobcentre. We are supporting employers to help them recruit and retain disabled people and people with health conditions through Disability Confident, the Access to Work scheme, and specialist advisers in Jobcentres. The number of working age disabled people in employment in the UK reached around 3.9 million in Q3 2018. This was an increase of 123,000 since Q3 2017.

Children: Maintenance

Martin Whitfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Child Maintenance Service allocates an individual's payments first to their historical collection charges and then to their existing child maintenance liabilities.

Justin Tomlinson: On-going maintenance liability and current/existing collection charges will be satisfied before any historical collection charges.

Universal Credit

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of universal credit on levels of rent arrears.

Justin Tomlinson: I refer the hon Member to the reply to Question 181577 on 29 October.

Convention Concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the UK will submit its next report on the International Labour Organization Convention 182; and whether that report will be published.

Alok Sharma: The UK last submitted a report on ILO Convention 182 in 2016. As the reporting for the ILO’s fundamental Conventions is on a three-year cycle, we expect to submit our next report next year (2019). The UK’s reports to the ILO are not published. However, they are reflected in the response of the ILO’s Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations, as part of its annual report.

Universal Credit

Ged Killen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to universal credit, what estimate she has made of the (a) proportion of claimants who apply for an advanced payment that are successful, (b) number of claimants who seek a deferred payment of three months when repaying an advanced payment and (c) proportion of claimants who receive an advanced payment and apply successfully for a deferred payment.

Alok Sharma: I refer the hon Member to the reply to Question 176262 on 11 October.

Universal Credit

Ged Killen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish the guidance issued by her Department on the thresholds for (a) financial hardship when a universal credit claimant applies for an advanced payment and (b) exceptional circumstances when a universal credit claimant with an advance payment applies for repayments to be delayed for up to three months.

Alok Sharma: Universal Credit guidance is published in the House of Commons Library and the Department is committed to refreshing the information on a regular basis.New claimants to Universal Credit have always been able to apply for a Universal Credit Advance in their first month if they need financial support until their first regular payment of Universal Credit is made.We have previously increased the maximum amount available for advances from 50 per cent to 100 per cent of the total award, and increased the repayment period from 6 months to 12 months. Last month’s Autumn Budget 2018 extended - from October 2021 - the maximum period over which an advance can be recovered, from 12 to 16 months. From October 2019, we will also reduce the maximum rate at which deductions can be made from a Universal Credit award from 40% to 30% of the standard allowanceIf during the recovery of an advance the claimant experiences an unforeseen expense that would cause them or their family genuine hardship if they were required to continue to repay the advance, then they can be offered a deferral period of the repayment of the advance of up to 3 months for a new claim, benefit transfer or change of circumstance advance and up to 6 months for a budgeting advance.In addition Personal Budgeting Support (PBS) is also offered to Universal Credit claimants from the outset of their claim. PBS helps claimants as they transition to Universal Credit and adapt to the financial changes that Universal Credit brings. PBS can be online, telephone or face to face support. Face to face support is currently delivered through local authorities via Universal Support.

Universal Credit

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what tendering process was used to commission Citizens Advice to provide Universal Support from April 2019.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will place in the Library a copy of the methodology for selecting Citizens Advice to provide Universal Support.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the transfer of provision of Universal Support to Citizens Advice on (a) local authority costs for providing and (b) local availability of Universal Support after April 2019.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department carried out an equalities impact assessment on the transfer of the delivery of Universal Support from local authorities to Citizens Advice.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the extent of  geographical coverage provided by Citizens Advice for the delivery of Universal Support; and what progress Citizens Advice has made on plans to deliver Universal Support in areas with no local Citizens Advice service.

Alok Sharma: Citizens Advice (CA) and Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) were given a direct grant award for the full delivery of a Universal Support service for 12 months from April 2019 (while developing their service alongside Local Authorities up to 31 March 2019). A delivery review point is built into the Grant Agreement, at which point we will consider how the service is operating. The decision to award directly to CA and CAS is based on their position as a well-known and independent advice organisation. This partnership will ensure we are offering a consistent approach nationally for our most vulnerable customers. Grant funding for the delivery of Universal Support by Local Authorities will cease from April 2019, as will their obligation to deliver the service. CA and CAS are committed to providing a Universal Support service across all areas of England, Wales and Scotland. In taking the decision to award the grant to CA and CAS due regard was paid to the Department’s obligations.

Universal Credit: Christmas

Ged Killen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has plans to revise the payment dates for universal credit payments over Christmas and new year to allow claimants whose specified payment date is on or after 25 December 2018 to be paid more than one working day in advance of 25 December 2018.

Alok Sharma: The Department has extensive experience of paying claimants over holiday periods and we have also paid Universal Credit to significant numbers of claimants over previous Christmas periods. The Department will advance the timing of all payments for people affected by bank holidays, to make sure they have money over the festive period. Universal Credit payments due to be received on 24, 25 and 26 December will be paid no later than 21 December. Universal Credit payments due to be received on 30, 31 December and 1 January will receive payment no later than 31 December. This information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/how-to-have-your-benefits-paid

Universal Credit: Easington

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many home visits to applicants for universal credit have been conducted by the Centre for Health and Disability Assessments in the Easington constituency for each year in which information is available.

Sarah Newton: The information requested is not available.

Universal Credit: Disqualification

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will suspend the sanctioning regime in universal credit areas until Jobcentre staff and claimants have a better understanding of the new system.

Alok Sharma: The sanctions system in its current form has been in place since 2012. Since then, we have created a range of learning products and training to ensure our staff understand sanctions and how they work in Universal Credit. We also provide claimants with sanctions information when they agree their Claimant Commitment, and we regularly remind them of the importance of meeting their commitments and the consequences of not doing so.__________________________________________________________________________

Funeral Payments

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her Department's policy is on supporting benefit claimants who must pay for the funeral of a family member; and if her Department will introduce an allowance for benefit claimants who must pay for the funeral of a family member to ensure that their benefit claims are not adversely affected.

Justin Tomlinson: The Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payment scheme makes a contribution towards the cost of a funeral for people in receipt of certain income related benefits and tax credits. To qualify, the applicant must be accepted as responsible for arranging the funeral, they (or their partner) must receive one of the qualifying benefits and they must be the partner or a close relative or close friend of the deceased. The amount payable depends on whether there is any other money available, for example from the deceased’s estate. As the Payment is linked to the deceased’s assets, it does not adversely affect the applicant’s savings. The scheme offers support by meeting the ‘necessary costs’ of a cremation or burial, including acquiring a burial plot. An allowance of up to £700 is also available to meet other funeral costs such as a coffin, religious venue and funeral director fees.

Personal Independence Payment: Visual Impairment

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with (a) sight loss or (b) a visual impairment that are new claimants of personal independence payments (PIP) did not receive an award during their initial PIP assessment but received an award at (a) mandatory reconsideration and (b) tribunal in each year since 2013.

Sarah Newton: Since Personal Independence Payment (PIP) was introduced 43,230 decisions have been made for people who have a primary disabling condition of visual disease up to June 2018. 10,960 people did not receive an award following their initial PIP assessment, 570 of these decisions were changed at mandatory reconsideration and 1,100 were overturned at tribunal. Detailed breakdowns by financial year can be found below. The year relates to the year of the initial decision; mandatory reconsiderations or appeals may have taken place in a different financial year to the initial decision. Financial yearDecisions madeFailed initial assessmentFailed initial assessment - Changed at mandatory reconsiderationFailed initial assessment - Overturned at tribunal appeal2013-1456015010102014-155,4501,730801202015-167,6002,3701002802016-1714,4903,1602004702017-1812,2702,930160210April to June 20182,860620100 Since PIP was introduced 3.5m decisions have been made for all health conditions up to June 2018, of these 9% have been appealed and 4% have been overturned. The data has been rounded to the nearest 10. Data is based on primary disabling condition as recorded on the PIP computer systems. Claimants may often have multiple disabling conditions upon which the decision is based but only the primary condition is shown in these statistics. It is not possible to break down the condition of “visual disease” into sight loss or visual impairment from the data. The appeals may include decisions which are changed at mandatory reconsideration, and where the claimant continues to appeal for a higher PIP award, are then changed again at tribunal appeal.

Housing Benefit: North East Lincolnshire

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to Answer of 5 November 2018 to Question 907432 on Housing Benefit, how much discretionary housing payment was (a) awarded to and (b) spent by North East Lincolnshire Council in each of the last three years.

Justin Tomlinson: The table below shows the amount awarded to and spent by North East Lincolnshire Council in Discretionary Housing Payments in the last 3 financial years: YearAwardedSpent2015/16£271,668£119,0602016/17£348,487£109,7042017/18£466,303£203,397 Figures on the amount of Discretionary Housing Payments awarded to and spent by Local Authorities are available:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/discretionary-housing-payments-statistics

Housing Benefit: East Riding

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to Answer of 5 November to Question 907432 on Housing Benefit, how much discretionary housing payment was (a) awarded to and (b) spent by East Riding of Yorkshire Council in each of the last three years.

Justin Tomlinson: The table below shows the amount awarded to and spent by East Riding of Yorkshire Council in Discretionary Housing Payments in the last 3 financial years: YearAwardedSpent2015/16£287,614£297,7782016/17£356,141£330,2012017/18£473,423£443,281 Figures on the amount of Discretionary Housing Payments awarded to and spent by Local Authorities are available:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/discretionary-housing-payments-statistics

Universal Credit: Automated Credit Transfer

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the effect on (a) the Post Office and (b) Postmaster pay of encouraging universal credit claimants to use a bank account to receive payments.

Alok Sharma: The majority of claimants have their benefits paid into a bank account. As most bank accounts can be accessed at the Post Office, most claimants are able to withdraw cash, deposit cash and cheques, and make balance enquiries at a Post Office counter via its network of 11,600 branches. Sub-postmasters will continue to receive revenue from those transactions while maintaining footfall. In line with our wider policy on financial inclusion, we have always made it clear that payment into a bank, building society or credit union is the preferred way for Universal Credit to be paid. This reflects the vision for Universal Credit mirroring the world of work, where, for example, an employer requires a bank account for a salary to be paid into.

Housing Benefit: Kingston upon Hull

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2018 to Question 907432 on Housing Benefit, how much discretionary housing payment was (a) awarded to and (b) spent by Kingston-upon-Hull City Council in each of the last three years.

Justin Tomlinson: The table below shows the amount awarded to and spent by Kingston-upon-Hull City Council in Discretionary Housing Payments in the last 3 financial years: YearAwardedSpent2015/16£681,189£682,1902016/17£791,440£1,072,7792017/18£1,026,126£1,253,507 Figures on the amount of Discretionary Housing Payments awarded to and spent by Local Authorities are available:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/discretionary-housing-payments-statistics

Universal Credit: South Wales

Gerald Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many benefit claimants have been migrated to universal credit since June 2018 in (a) the Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council area and (b) the South Wales Region; and what percentage of benefit claimants have been migrated to universal credit since June 2018 in (i) the Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council area and (ii) the South Wales Region.

Alok Sharma: We are not, currently, migrating any claimants from legacy benefits to Universal Credit. Claimants only move from existing benefits to Universal Credit through natural migration when they experience a significant change in their circumstances that triggers a new claim to benefitWe do not hold data on the number of claimants that have naturally migrated to Universal Credit.

Universal Credit: Females

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment the Government has made of the effect of the roll-out of universal credit on women.

Alok Sharma: Universal Credit treats all individuals equally, irrespective of gender. It provides one-to-one support and incentives to help claimants to progress in work. The latest Office for National Statistics labour market statistics show a near record high rate for women in employment.

Home Office

Asylum: Employment

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of giving asylum seekers the right to work after six months.

Caroline Nokes: The UK has a proud history of providing protection to those who need it and this Government is committed to delivering a fair and humane asylum system.Our current policy is consistent with EU law and permits asylum seekers to work, in jobs on the Shortage Occupation List, if they have been waiting for a decision on their claim for 12 months or more and the delay is through no fault of their own. We are tackling delays in decision-making and have plans in place to improve the speed at which outstanding claims are decided.The Government is considering recent calls to change the current policy. However, the current approach aims to protect the resident labour market so that any employment meets our needs for skilled labour and to maintain the distinction between those who need protection and those who want to work in the UK, who can apply for a work visa under the Immigration Rules. We need to avoid creating further incentives for migrants to come here illegally, risking their lives in the process, instead of claiming asylum in the first safe country they reach.It is also important to focus on providing support for those who are recognised as refugees, to help them to integrate and find employment, so that they can rebuild their lives here.

Migrant Workers: Veterinary Medicine

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he plans to include vets on the shortage occupation list.

Caroline Nokes: The Shortage Occupation List is set on advice from the independent Migra-tion Advisory Committee (MAC). We have commissioned the MAC to un-dertake a full review of the composition of the Shortage Occupation List. This review will enable the MAC to look at which posts are in national shortage and should be given priority within the Tier 2 cap in future. That review will conclude in Spring 2019.

UK Border Force: Holyhead Port

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff Border Force has in place to deal with any expected additional workload at the port of Holyhead after the UK leaves the EU.

Caroline Nokes: As we prepare to leave the EU, it is vital that we continue to ensure opera-tional resilience at the border.Border Force has recruited a Readiness Task Force to provide operational resilience to the frontline and allow existing staff to undertake EU exit related training. The c.300 multi-disciplinary Border Force officers will be fully de-ployed by the end of the year.An additional c.600 Border Force officers are being recruited in 2018/19 to respond to the new requirements it will face as a result of EU Exit and to pro-vide resilience at key locations. Border Force will always ensure it has the necessary resources to keep the border secure and will respond flexibly to emerging requirements through ongoing assessments of operational needs.

Road Traffic Control: Enforcement

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2018 to Question 171423 on Speed Limits: Cameras, how much revenue has accrued to the public purse as a result of all forms of traffic enforcement in (a) the West Midlands (b) England and (c) the UK in each year for which information is available.

Mr Nick Hurd: The amount of revenue accrued from traffic enforcement activity is not held centrally.

Deportation: Charter Flights

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Home Office immigration removal charter flights have departed from Royal Air Force bases in the UK since June 2018; and what the (a) date of departure (b) name of the air base (c) (i) country or (ii) countries of destination (d) operational name of and (e) number of (i) removal directions issued for (ii) people removed on (iii) removal directions withdrawn from and (iv) criminal deportees on the flight was in each case.

Caroline Nokes: No Home Office charter flights have departed from Royal Air Force bases since June 2018.

Deportation: Charter Flights

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to the public purse has been of immigration removal charter flights departing from Royal Air Force bases in the UK since May 2017.

Caroline Nokes: Five Home Office charter flights have departed from RAF Brize Norton since May 2017.The total cost of operating these flights was £2,201,269.50. This includes the costs of escorts, coaches, chartering aircraft, air passenger duty and administrative costs associated with operating the flights.

Cannabis: Medical Treatments

Ronnie Cowan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department remains the ministerial lead for the medicinal use of cannabis-based products.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office leads the Government’s policy and legislation on the misuse of drugs, including on the scheduling of substances controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and associated legislation. The Department of Health and Social Care has responsibility for the safe management and use of medicines in healthcare.

Community Policing

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions his Department has had with (a) Northamptonshire police, (b) West Yorkshire police and (c) the National Police Chiefs' Council on the reduction of neighbourhood policing.

Mr Nick Hurd: This Government has provided a strong and comprehensive settlement that is increasing total investment in the police system by over £460m in 2018-19, of which more than £280m from increased council tax precept will go direct to forces to spend locally.It is for operationally independent Chief Constables to decide how best to deploy officers in their force area to effectively serve and engage their communities and to build trust and confidence. Police and Crime Com-missioners (PCCs) are elected by the public to hold Chief Constables and the force to account; making the police answerable to the communities they serve.

Crimes of Violence

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effect of the reduction in police officer numbers on levels of serious violence.

Victoria Atkins: The Minister for Policing and Fire has spoken to every police force in England and Wales in order to gain a better understanding of the demands they face. There are a range of complex factors behind the recent increases in se-rious violence, and in the Serious Violence Strategy published in April 2018, our analysis was that a major factor has been changes in the drugs market.

Police: Finance

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to page 50 of the report entitled, Police Efficiency 2016, published by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, what estimate he has made of the prudent level of unallocated general reserves in police forces.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office does not set a recommended level of reserves which Police and Crime Commissioners should hold. Chief Finance Officers have a duty to report on the adequacy of reserves.Levels of reserves reflect a number of local factors, including local financial planning decisions and assessments of risk, and it would be inappropriate for the Government to set a prescriptive level. The Home Office’s Financial Management Code of Practice sets out requirements for PCCs to be transparent about how the general reserve is set.

North Africa: Refugees

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department,  what estimate he has made of the number of people who made an illegal sea crossing from north Africa to Europe between April and October 2018.

Caroline Nokes: There is not one definitive estimate, but we monitor a wide range of sources (such as UNHCR, Frontex, IOM, Eurostat, as well as other international agencies) to ensure we have a good understanding of irregular migration to Europe and the UK, including who is travelling irregularly to Europe, and the routes they are taking.

Immigrants: EU Nationals

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has made an assessment of the effect of including non-UK EU citizens within the scope of the compliant environment policy immediately after the UK leaves the EU on the ability of those citizens to (a) access rental accommodation and (b) find employment in the period before the settled status scheme has concluded.

Caroline Nokes: Landlords and employers already need to carry out document checks on EU citizens, as they do with all prospective tenants and employees.The current arrangements will not change immediately after the UK leaves the EU. EU citizens, including those applying to the EU Settlement Scheme, will continue to be able to evidence their right to rent or work by showing a passport or national identity card. Landlords and employers will not be ex-pected to differentiate between resident EU citizens and those arriving after exit.

Armed Forces: Foreign Nationals

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many foreign-born UK armed forces service personnel have had an (a) Indefinite Leave to Remain and (b) citizenship application denied on the grounds of not meeting the good character requirement in each of the last five years.

Caroline Nokes: We do not hold the data as requested, this is because the application process does not require individuals to identify, in every case, whether they are current or former service personnel.However the available information on totals for outcomes of applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain and citizenship is published in the quarterly Immigration Statistics, latest available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-june-2018/list-of-tables

Road Traffic Offences: Speed Limits

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 6 November to Question 186975 on Road Traffic Offences, whether the annual cost to the public purse of speed awareness courses is in the region of one hundred million pounds annually.

Mr Nick Hurd: The information requested is not held centrally.

Asylum

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will publish the total number of asylum seekers accommodated in each local authority area in England, Scotland and Wales through the asylum dispersal programme in each of the last three years.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office publishes quarterly figures on the number of asylum seek-ers housed in dispersed accommodation, including under Section 95, by lo-cal authority in the Immigration Statistics release, in table as_16q and 17q in volume 4 of the Asylum data tables. These are available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-july-to-september-2017/list-of-tables#asylumThis does not include those asylum seekers who are accommodated with friends and family, and who are not in receipt of support.

Refugees: Sri Lanka

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Sri Lankan nationals have been granted refugee status after having previously been removed to Sri Lanka following a refused application for asylum since 18 May 2009.

Caroline Nokes: Specific information relating exclusively to Sri Lankan nationals is not available in the requested format, however information generally on Asylum applicants granted Asylum, after previously having been refused asylum and removed, is published in the Home Office’s asylum transparency data table ASY_09_q at;https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-transparency-data-august-2018

Deportation: Sri Lanka

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Sri Lankan nationals have been (a) removed to Sri Lanka and (b) removed to Sri Lanka following a refused application for asylum since 26 October 2018.

Caroline Nokes: Information on the number of Sri Lankan nationals that have been returned from the UK to Sri Lanka, is available in table rt_04 (returns data tables, volume 4) in ‘Immigration Statistics, year ending June 2018’, available from the GOV.uk website at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/734184/returns4-jun-2018-tables.odsThe data can be broken down by asylum and non-asylum related returns. Asylum-related returns relate to cases where there has been an asylum claim at some stage prior to the return. This will include asylum seekers whose asylum claims have been refused, and who have exhausted any rights of appeal, those retuned under third country provisions, as well as those granted asylum/protection, but removed for other reasons (such as criminality). Information for October to December 2018 will be available in February 2019.

101 Calls

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many 101 calls have been (a) unanswered and (b) abandoned in the last 12 months.

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time is that a caller to the 101 number has waited for their call to be answered in the last (a) six and (b) 12 months.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office does not collect this data. The handling of 101 calls is an operational matter for the police, including response times and performance targets. It is for elected Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables to decide how best to manage their communications and response to the public.

Treasury

Crown Lands and Estates

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2018 to Question 186180 on Crown Lands and Estates, which topics regarding property held in escheat were discussed.

Robert Jenrick: Escheat was discussed at a high level and particularly in relation to landfill sites.

Police Service of Northern Ireland: Finance

Louise Haigh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations his Department has received from the Police Service of Northern Ireland on resources for policing after the UK leaves the EU.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many times his Department has met with representatives of the Police Service of Northern Ireland to discuss resource requirements for policing after the UK leaves the EU.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what additional resources for policing have been requested by the Police Service of Northern Ireland for when the UK leaves the EU.

Elizabeth Truss: As the Chancellor announced at Budget 2018, an additional £500 million will be made available to allow departments and the devolved administrations to continue to prepare for EU exit, taking the total for 2019/20 to £2 billion. As a result of this announcement, the Treasury will have invested over £4 billion in EU exit since 2016. Treasury Ministers and officials have regular discussions with all of the devolved administrations on matters of importance to the economy across the UK, including EU exit. We are working collaboratively with the Northern Ireland Civil Service to assess the resource requirements of the Police Service of Northern Ireland to prepare for the UK leaving the EU. Allocations from the £2 billion to departments and the devolved administrations will be announced in due course.

Digital Technology: Taxation

Liam Byrne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Office for Budget Responsibility's Economic and Fiscal Outlook published in October 2018, if he will list the thirty groups identified using the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development World Investment Report and the commercial ORBIS database that could be in scope for the Digital Services Tax announced in Budget 2018.

Mel Stride: The groups cannot be disclosed for reasons of taxpayer confidentiality.

Financial Services: EU Law

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 6 November 2018 to Question 187143 on EU Internal Trade, how his Department plans to transpose provisions from EU law into UK law involving thresholds measuring the proportion of the entire market or a specified number of grouping of member states, in the Markets in Financial Instruments Regulations Article (a) 5(1)(a) and 1(b), subparagraphs (3) to (6) and subparagraph (9), (b) Article 9(5), (c) Article 14(5) and (d) Article 36(5) in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

John Glen: Article 5(1)(a) and 1(b), subparagraphs (3) to (6) and subparagraph (9) in the Markets in Financial Instruments Regulations will become deficient after the UK’s exit from the EU. In the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal, it will be amended in accordance with Regulation 27(2) of the draft Markets in Financial Instruments (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018. Article 9(5) will become deficient after the UK’s exit from the EU. In the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal it will be amended in accordance with Regulation 27(4) of the draft Markets in Financial Instruments (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018. Article 36 specifies a threshold which is expressed as an absolute number, so this will not be deficient after exit and is therefore not being amended.

Financial Services: EU Law

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 6 November 2018 to Question 187143 on EU Internal Trade, how his Department plans to transpose provisions from EU law into UK law involving thresholds measuring the proportion of the entire market or a specified number of grouping of member states, in Articles 12 to 16 of the Commission Delegated Regulation amending MiFID 565/2017 in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

John Glen: Articles 12 to 16 of the Commission Delegated Regulation amending MiFID 565/2017 will become deficient after the UK’s exit from the EU. In the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal, it will be amended in accordance with Regulation 40 of the draft Markets in Financial Instruments (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018.

Financial Services: EU Law

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of his Department's written answer to parliamentary question 187143, how his Department plans to transpose provisions from EU law into UK law involving thresholds measuring the proportion of the entire market or a specified number of grouping of member states, in Article 5(1)(a) and (b)) of the Commission Delegated Regulation 2017/567 in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

John Glen: Article 5(1)(a) and (b)) of the Commission Delegated Regulation 2017/567 will become deficient after the UK’s exit from the EU. In the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal, it will be amended in accordance with Regulation 59(2) of the draft Markets in Financial Instruments (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018.

Gaming Machines: Excise Duties

Tom Watson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the report prepared by KPMG on behalf of the Association of British Bookmakers which was submitted to his Department as part of its consultations on the reduction in maximum stakes on fixed odds betting terminals and increasing remote gaming duty.

Robert Jenrick: The report was commissioned by the Association of British Bookmakers and was provided in confidence to HM Treasury due to its commercial sensitivity. It is imperative that stakeholders can provide information in confidence for the government to critically analyse to ensure policy making can be evidence-based. Releasing the report and breaching that confidence would discourage stakeholders from engaging with government and harm future policy-making.

VAT

Sir Graham Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the take-up the VAT flat rate scheme (a) in actual numbers and (b) in terms of the percentage of eligible companies.

Mel Stride: There were 358,270 businesses operating the VAT Flat-Rate Scheme in 2016-17. This is 25% of eligible businesses from the total VAT registered population.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Cybercrime: Small Businesses

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what Government funding is available to small and medium-sized businesses to help them achieve CyberEssentials certification.

Margot James: The Cyber Essentials scheme was designed to be suitable for organisations of all sizes in all sectors; and particularly for small and medium-sized businesses. Any organisation can use the advice for free and implement the scheme themselves. For those that want a certificate, the cost - which is set by the market - starts at around £300.

Museums and Galleries

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of people on boards of museums sponsored by his Department are (a) BAME and (b) female.

Michael Ellis: The proportion of women on boards of museums sponsored by DCMS is 38%. The proportion of BAME boards members of museums sponsored by DCMS is 11%.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Departmental Responsibilities

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 12 November 2018 to Question 187322 on Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Departmental Responsibilities, if he will publish an official note of his meeting with the hon Member for Shipley and the hon Member for Tewkesbury.

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 12 November 2018 to Question 187322 on Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Departmental Responsibilities, whether the commercial terms of the takeover of Ladbrokes by GVC was discussed at his meeting with the hon Member for Shipley and the hon Member for Tewkesbury.

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 12 November to 2018 to Question 187322 on Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Departmental Responsibilities, whether officials in his Department were present at his meeting with the hon Member for Shipley and the hon Member for Tewkesbury.

Jeremy Wright: As per my response on 12 November, I met with the hon Member for Shipley and the hon Member for Tewkesbury on 10 October. This meeting included a discussion of the changes to stakes on B2 Gaming Machines. I have discussed this issue with a number of other colleagues. There was no discussion of the commercial takeover of Ladbrokes. The appropriate arrangements were in place to support an official meeting.

Association of British Bookmakers and Remote Gambling Association

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he has met any representatives from (a) the Association of British Bookmakers and (b) the Remote Gambling Association since his appointment.

Jeremy Wright: As the Hon member would expect, details of Ministerial meetings are set out in regular transparency returns.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Public Bodies

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of people on the boards of bodies sponsored by his Department are (a) BAME and (b) female.

Michael Ellis: The proportion of people on the bodies sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is (a) 10% BAME and (b) 40% female.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Brexit

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much his Department has spent on consultancy fees relating to the UK leaving the EU since July 2016.

Richard Harrington: The Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy spent £3.68m on EU Exit consultancy services for the period October 2017 to September 2018. Prior to October 2017 expenditure was aggregated as part of the Department’s overall consultancy spend and cannot be reported separately.

Offshore Industry: Oil

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether (a) the Oil and Gas Authority and (b) his Department carried out an assessment on the potential effect on the climate of the development of the Alligin oil field before granting permission for that field to be developed.

Claire Perry: We are committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. Greenhouse gas emissions from all sectors of the UK’s economy are taken into account when assessing our performance against the Carbon Budgets- this includes emissions from offshore oil production sites on the UK sector of the continental shelf. As we continue to move to a low carbon economy we need to ensure we have a balanced energy mix so we have a reliable, clean and affordable energy system. This means that in the medium term there will be a role for some fossil fuels.

Offshore Industry: Carbon Emissions

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2018 to Question 184876 on North Sea Oil, what assessment he has made of the effect of continued investment in new oil and gas on compliance with the timeframes set by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Claire Perry: Oil and gas will continue to play an important role as part of the energy mix for decades to come. As we continue to move to a low carbon economy we need to ensure we have a balanced energy mix, so we have a reliable, clean and affordable energy system. This means that in the medium term there will be a role for oil and gas; currently over 85% of the population use gas for heating and around 65% for cooking, with UK Continental Shelf oil and gas production still equivalent to around half of demand. We are leading the world in our response to the special report on global warming of 1.5°C – commissioning the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) for their advice on the implications of the Paris Agreement for the UK’s long-term emissions reduction targets, just one week after its publication. As part of this, we have requested that they provide evidence on how reductions in line with the CCC’s recommendations might be delivered in key sectors of the economy and we will consider their advice carefully when it is received.  As part of this, we have requested that they provide evidence on how reductions in line with the CCC’s recommendations might be delivered in key sectors of the economy and we will consider their advice carefully when it is received.

Cammell Laird: Contracts

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation, of 16 October 2018, Official Report, column 494, what the projects are for which Cammell Laird has received £150 million.

Mr Sam Gyimah: We are funding major new research facilities. The £150m that the I referred to in my oral contribution of 16 October 2018, Official Report, column 494 is the approximate cost of the construction of the polar research vessel, the RRS Sir David Attenborough, being built by Cammell Laird of Birkenhead. There is ongoing expenditure on the research vessel’s construction and it will come into operation in late spring 2019.

Carbon Budgets: Climate Change

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 6 November 2018 to Question 186935 on Carbon Budgets: Climate Change, whether the Committee on Climate Change’s response to the IPCC report on 1.5 degrees will be permitted to include recommendations on amending the UK's third, fourth and fifth carbon budgets.

Claire Perry: The Committee on Climate Change’s (CCC) focus for this particular advice will rightly be on our long-term targets. Although government has asked the CCC not to consider formally carbon budgets four and five as part of this commission, they have been asked for evidence on how reductions in line with the CCC’s recommendations might be delivered in key sectors of the economy. If the CCC considers that the most effective way of communicating this information is through a cost-effective pathway (which could include the years captured by carbon budgets four and five), they may incorporate that information into their advice.

Offshore Industry

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress has been made on an oil and gas sector deal; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry: Several sectors, including the Offshore Oil and Gas sector, have expressed an interest in a Sector Deal and we will take forward some further Deals that best meet expectations set out in the White Paper.

Offshore Drilling: Seabed

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of environmental impact assessments carried out by the International Seabed Authority for deep sea mining.

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what biodiversity studies the Government has commissioned with regard to seabed mining.

Claire Perry: The National Environmental Research Council has conducted a scientific expedition in 2015 to look at biodiversity in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. This work was part of the Managing Impacts of Deep Sea Resource Exploitation project. In 2012 Defra approved a plan of work by Lockheed Martin to look at the environmental aspects of manganese nodule commercial recovery from the deep seabed surface in the Clarion Clipperton Zone, Equatorial Pacific Ocean. The International Seabed Authority does not carry out environmental impact assessments but does decide on the quality of Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) provided by external contractors and does provide guidance on what an EIS should cover. The UK government is committed to ensuring that exploiting deep sea mineral resources is only undertaken to the highest environmental standard and nominated Dr Gordon Patterson of the National History Museum as one of the members of the Legal and Technical Commission (LTC) of the International Seabed Authority. The LTC reviews the plans of work adopted under exploration contracts and the performance of contractors against those agreed plans of work. By nominating a world leading expert we are helping to ensure that the work of the ISA is assessed by the highest quality independent scientific advisers.

Carbon Budgets: Climate Change

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 8 November 2018 to Question 186934, whether the Committee on Climate Change's response to the IPCC report on global warming of 1.5 degrees will be permitted to include recommendations on (a) the cost effectiveness and (b) the benefit to the climate of amending the fourth or fifth carbon budget to provide more rapid reduction of the UK’s carbon emissions in line with the timeframe recommended by the IPCC.

Claire Perry: The Committee on Climate Change’s (CCC) focus for this particular advice will rightly be on our long-term targets, including the costs, benefits and deliverability of more ambitious targets. Although government has asked the CCC not to consider formally carbon budgets four and five as part of this commission, they have been asked for evidence on how reductions in line with the CCC’s recommendations might be delivered in key sectors of the economy. If the CCC considers that the most effective way of communicating this information is through a cost-effective pathway (which could include the years captured by carbon budgets four and five), they may incorporate that information into their advice.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Wales

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department plans to close the (a) Ofgem office on East Tyndall Street Cardiff, (b) (i) Registrar of Companies and (ii) Community Interest Companies offices on Crown Way Cardiff and (c) Intellectual Property Office on Cardiff Road Newport; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Harrington: There are no plans to close the offices of the Registrar of Companies and the Regulator of Community Interest Companies in Cardiff or the Intellectual Property Office in Newport. Ofgem’s team in Wales is based in East Tyndall Street on a temporary basis. Ofgem is expecting to relocate the team when a suitable Government Hub becomes available in Cardiff. We continue to work with the Government Property Agency to ensure our estate is an enabler for the delivery of Civil Service transformation, regional growth and the Government’s vision to strengthen the Union.

Electricity: Prices

Jamie Stone: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department has taken to apply tariff caps on electricity suppliers since the Domestic Gas and Electricity (Tariff Cap) Act 2018 received royal assent in July 2018.

Claire Perry: On 6 November, Ofgem set out their decision on the level of the cap, following a period of thorough consultation. This means the cap will come into force by the end of the year as we promised. The cap will protect 11 million households on standard variable tariffs. As a result, the average household on a standard variable tariff will save £76 and customers on the most expensive tariffs will save over £130. Overall the cap will save consumers in the UK an estimated £1 billion per year.

Iron and Steel: USA

Hugh Gaffney: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, What discussions he has had with steel companies on the effect of US steel tariffs on the UK steel sector.

Richard Harrington: My ministerial team and I have had numerous discussions with the steel sector – both as part of wider discussions and on this subject alone – since the measures were announced by the US. We and our colleagues across Government have regularly raised this issue directly with the US to make our objections clear. We have also been working closely with the EU to ensure that proportionate action is taken so that UK workers are safeguarded. We remain in regular contact with the EU and the US Administration to try to reach a positive outcome. Together with BEIS officials, I will continue to engage the UK steel and aluminium companies affected by these tariffs to provide advice and support.

Mineworkers' Pension Scheme

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much money the Government has received from the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme (a) since 1994 and (b) in each of the last three financial years for which data is available.

Claire Perry: Since 1994, the Government has received £4,438.1m from the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme. £3,127m of that is the Guarantor’s share of surpluses and £1,310.2m has been returned from the Investment Reserve. Receipts in each of the last three years were: 2016/7: £51m2017/8: £51m2018/9: £617.2m (£475m of which is from the Investment Reserve) The Government guarantee has enabled an investment strategy that has resulted in scheme members receiving payments 33% higher than they would have been if they received only their actual earned pension up to privatisation.

Mineworkers' Pension Scheme

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government has made direct payments to the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme under the guarantee arrangements.

Claire Perry: No payments have been required to date.

Mineworkers' Pension Scheme

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what sums are held in the investment reserve fund for the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme.

Claire Perry: At the valuation date, 30 September 2017, the assets of the Investment Reserve were £1,488m. Since then, a payment of £475m has been made to the Guarantor. The Government Actuary decided that this payment should be made, noting that the remaining buffer is likely to continue to provide significant protection.

Mineworkers' Pension Scheme

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the sums that the Government will receive from the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme in (a) 2018-19, (b) 2019-20 and (c) 2020-21.

Claire Perry: Under the terms of the scheme, the Government will receive its share of scheme surpluses. For each of the next 3 years, that share is £142.4m.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Agency Workers

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much his Department has spent on agency staff in each financial year since 2009-10.

James Brokenshire: My Department spent £14.4 million in 2009-10, £4.6 million in 2010-11 and £2.9 million in 2011-12 on agency staff.For 2012 - 13 onwards, these are published in the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts at the websites below:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dclg-annual-report-and-accounts-2014-to-2015 and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mhclg-annual-report-and-accounts-2017-to-2018.

Supporting People Programme

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment the Government has made of the effect of removing the ring-fencing on Supporting People funding on the provision of homelessness services.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The Government is committed to tackling rough sleeping and homelessness, which is why we are providing over £1.2 billion of funding to address the issue. This year we have implemented the Homelessness Reduction Act, published our £100 million Rough Sleeping Strategy and taken immediate action to begin to reduce the number of people rough sleeping.   We also announced this summer that funding for housing costs across the supported accommodation sector, including short-term accommodation like homelessness hostels, will stay in Housing Benefit and that we would undertake a review of housing-related support. While the review will not assess the effect of the removal of the ringfence, it will help us better understand how housing and support fit together across the supported housing sector, including in supported homelessness provision.

Social Rented Housing: Mental Illness

Thelma Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the social housing system supports people with mental health problems.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: I refer the Hon Member to my answer to Question UIN 176245 on 11 October 2018.

Homelessness: Older People

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of people over 65 years old that are are homeless in (a) the London Borough of Southwark, (b) London and (c) England.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: My Department publishes quarterly statistics on statutory homelessness and homelessness prevention and relief in England and an annual rough sleeping count. These are published at a local authority level. The detailed local authority level response tables in section 1 includes '65-74 years' and '75 & over' age brackets for the applicant of homeless households.The latest statistics can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness.

Homelessness: Older People

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many people in receipt of a state pension are recognised as homeless in (a) London Borough of Southwark, (b) London and (c) the UK.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: My Department has asked local authorities to collect information on benefits received by the main claimant of a homelessness applicant household since April 2018 when the Homelessness Reduction Act came into effect. This data is still being collated and quality assured and will be published as soon as practically possible. It will contain information on whether the main claimant of applicant households is claiming State Pension and/or Pension Credit (if the benefit contributes most to their income relative to any other benefits also received or applied for).

Temporary Accommodation: Autism

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of children with autism living in temporary accommodation in (a) London Borough of Southwark, (b) London and (c) England in each of the last five years.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: My Department does not collect this information.

Homelessness: Autism

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of adults with autism that are homeless in (a) London Borough of Southwark, (b) London and (c) England in each of the last five years.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: My Department does not collect this information.

Ministry of Defence

World War I: Anniversaries

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what events he plans to attend to commemorate the centenary of the signing of the Armistice.

Gavin Williamson: It was my very great privilege to attend the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance on Saturday evening and the Cenotaph Service and special Westminster Abbey Service on Sunday. These events were especially poignant for falling on the exact centenary of the Armistice and were a chance to honour all those who served their country.

Defence Equipment and Support: Pay

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department paid Willis Towers Watson to calculate the pay benchmarks for Defence Equipment and Support employees.

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the methodology used by Willis Towers Watson to determine the pay benchmarks for Defence Equipment and Support employees.

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the contract given to Willis Towers Watson to calculate the pay benchmarks for Defence Equipment and Support employees was funded from the total amount allocated for pay increases in 2017.

Stuart Andrew: Willis Towers Watson do not calculate the pay benchmarks for Defence Equipment and Support employees.

Defence Equipment and Support: Staff

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the proportion of Defence Equipment and Support employees at each new pay grade after it became a Bespoke Trading Entity in 2014.

Stuart Andrew: Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) became a Bespoke Trading Entity in April 2014, however employees remained on the previous Ministry of Defence pay grade structure until April 2017. In April 2017, DE&S introduced a new pay, grading and reward structure, which has five broad salary bands. Details of the proportion of employees at each level, as at 1 April 2017, can be found in the table below. DE&S LevelProportion of EmployeesAdministrator/Specialist28%Senior Administrator32%Professional II28%Professional I9%Senior Professional3% This does not include Senior Civil Service and Military personnel employed in DE&S, which are not part of the new grading structure.

Defence Equipment and Support: Pay

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the equity of pay increases awarded to civil servants working in Defence Equipment and Support.

Stuart Andrew: Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) is fully committed to ensuring fairness; all performance and reward processes are properly governed, transparent and applied consistently. DE&S assesses and monitors the impact of annual salary increases across all protected characteristic groups and will continue to do this.

International Military Services: Debts

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will outline the key points of contention on the Government paying its debt obligations in relation to IMS Limited; and whether those points of contention inform the Government's position on the upcoming IMS Limited arbitration hearing.

Stuart Andrew: The dispute is the subject of ongoing litigation initiated by the Ministry of Defence and Support for the Armed Forces of Iran against International Military Services Ltd. It would not be appropriate for the Government to comment.

Defence Equipment and Support: Conditions of Employment

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of pay and working conditions of Defence Equipment and Support employees since that organisation became a bespoke trading entity.

Stuart Andrew: Trends in the level of pay and working conditions of Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) employees are subject to regular monitoring through organisational governance processes.The DE&S Annual Report and Accounts contains comparative information on these subjects and can be found on gov.uk at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/defence-equipment-support-annual-report-and-accounts-index.

Defence Equipment and Support: Pay

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of Defence Equipment and Support employees received pay increases at each performance rating relative to the benchmarks set out in their 2018 pay deal.

Stuart Andrew: Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) staff are rewarded individually, with salary increases being based on how staff have performed throughout the year relative to their peers, and their salary in comparison to the market benchmark for their role. The distribution of civilian employees below the Senior Civil Service who were eligible for the 2018 pay award against each of DE&S’ five performance ratings is set out in the table below: Performance RatingProportion of DE&S StaffExceptional11%Very Good21%Good40%Moderate19%Performance Improvement Required9% Staff rated ‘Performance Improvement Required’ did not receive an increase in pay and those with a rating of ‘Moderate’ received a flat 1%. Larger awards were given to those staff with the highest performance ratings, and dependent upon the relative position of their salary to the benchmark for their role.

Army: Young People

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of people under 18 years of age that applied to join the army in financial year 2013-14; and how many of those people have since started army training.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of people under 18 years of age that applied to join the army in the financial year 2014-15; and how many of those people have since started army training.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence,  what estimate he has made of the number of people under 18 years of age that applied to join the army in the financial year 2016-17; and how many of those people have since started army training.

Mark Lancaster: The number of people under 18 years old who applied to join the Army in financial years 2014-15, 2016-17 and 2017-18 and who have since started basic training before 1 October 2018 are detailed in the table below.  Financial YearU18 ApplicationsOf which started basic training2013-201414,0502,7902014-201517,1203,0002016-201720,3702,350  Figures are for Regular soldiers who were under the age of 18 at the time of their application. Some will have turned 18 before starting basic training. Some of the applicants above will still be in the process of joining the Army. Please note that these figures are single Service estimates and are not official statistics produced by Defence Statistics. They have been rounded to the nearest 10.

Armed Forces: Waste Disposal

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effect of burn pits used to dispose of military waste on the health of people who served in the British armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Ministry of Defence has not made any assessment of the effect of burn pits used by the US to dispose of military waste on the health of members of the UK Armed Forces who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Where burn pits are used on military operations the UK regularly monitors air quality levels.If Serving personnel consider that their health has been affected they should seek medical advice from Joint Medical Group, previously Defence Medical Services. For veterans, their healthcare is provided by the National Health Service in England and the Devolved Administrations. Individuals who believe that they are ill as a result of their service are able to claim compensation through the War Pensions Scheme for the period up to 6 April 2005 and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme for illnesses and injuries on or after 6 April 2005

Iraq Conflict: Waste Disposal

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what health guidance was issued to armed forces personnel who were exposed to military burn pits during their service in the 2003 Iraq War.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: On current operations, armed forces personnel receive briefings, including health guidance, at all stages of an operational deployment. This includes pre-deployment, on arrival in theatre during Reception Staging and Onward Integration and during decompression. Written guidance is also provided at unit level.

Armed Forces: Waste Disposal

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what support his Department provides to former armed forces personnel who have health concerns relating to their exposure to military burn pits during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Any Armed Forces veteran who believes they have suffered ill health due to their Service is eligible to claim compensation under the War Pensions Scheme (WPS) or the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS). The WPS covers illness or injury due to Service before 6 April 2005 and the AFCS covers illnesses and injuries on or after 6 April 2005. Both schemes carry full rights of appeal to an independent tribunal.

Scotland Office

Scotland Office: Energy

Stuart C. McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the quantity was of (a) electricity and (b) natural gas used by his Department in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Stuart C. McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the cost was of (a) electricity and (b) natural gas used by his Department in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

David Mundell: The quantity and cost of electricity and natural gas used by the Department in each of the last three financial years is shown below.Totals (excl. DH Gas / WHDS figures (All figures are in KWh) YearGasElectricity2015-161904292073412016-171818732187812017-18175710239606 CostYearGasElectricity2015-16£6,742.15£31,744.512016-17£5,270.97£28,248.952017-18£5,413.19£39,000.69

Scotland Office: Billing

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what proportion of contracts issued by his Department and contractors include provisions to impose, as between parties to the subcontract, that any payment due from the contractor to a subcontractor under the contract is to be made no later than the end of a period of 30 days from the date on which the relevant invoice is regarded as valid and undisputed, as required by the Public Contract Regulations 2015.

David Mundell: Through the Public Contract Regulations 2015, all public sector buyers must include 30-day payment terms in new public sector contracts, and require that this payment term be passed down the supply chain. Public sector buyers must also publish annually on their payment performance.Government strongly encourages businesses to report poor payment practice and instances of late payment, including late payment through the supply chain, in public sector contracts to its Mystery Shopper service. Mystery Shopper will then investigate.

Department for International Trade

Overseas Trade

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans his Department has to develop trade links with countries outside the EU in the next five years.

George Hollingbery: Department for International Trade indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Palm Oil: Imports

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what meetings he has had with companies that source palm oil in their supply chain as part of preparing for future trade deals after the UK leaves the EU.

George Hollingbery: Department for International Trade indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Women and Equalities

Equal Pay

Mr Jim Cunningham: What steps the Government is taking to close the gender pay gap for women over the age of 40.

Victoria Atkins: The gender pay gap for women between 40 and 49 has actually fallen since 2010. Employers reported their gender pay gaps for the first time this year and we now expect them to take action to close them. The Government published the Fuller Working Lives strategy last year, and continues to work with businesses to ensure everyone can adapt to the changing face of the workforce.

Department for Transport

Aerospace Industry and Aviation: Research

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what target he has set for investment in research and development in the aviation and aerospace industries.

Jesse Norman: The Department for Transport does not have specific targets for investment in research and development in the aviation and aerospace industries.

Northern: Standards

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the number of service cancellations by Northern Rail since April 2018; and what assessment he has made of the effect of those service cancellations on passenger outcomes.

Andrew Jones: Since April 2018 the number of Northern services cancelled have been 12,076. This consists of Northern responsible, Network Rail responsible, and Other Operators responsible full cancellations. As a result of the effect on passengers the Department ensured that an appropriate compensation package was provided by the rail industry for those most affected.

Northern: Standards

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to hold Northern Rail to account for its level of service performance.

Andrew Jones: The Department, through the Rail North Partnership which is jointly managed with Transport for the North, constantly monitors Northern’s contractual compliance relating to service performance and will hold them to account for any non-compliance through the existing mechanisms within the Franchise

Northern: Timetables

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with Northern Rail on recent timetable problems.

Andrew Jones: The Secretary of State recently appointed Richard George to work with the rail industry on performance improvements to the existing timetable. Richard George has a wealth of industry experience including as Director of Transport for the London Olympics in 2012.

Trains: Hydrogen

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to introduce hydrogen-powered emission-free trains.

Andrew Jones: The Department has made clear it is looking to the rail industry for innovation in considering the use of alternative fuels, such as hydrogen, in the future. We are aware that Alstom are working with Eversholt on the conversion of class 321 units to bi-modes using hydrogen fuel cells in the UK. Also, Porterbrook have entered into a partnership with the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (‘BCRRE’) to create HydroFlex where Porterbrook will provide a ‘Class 319’ electric unit to BCRRE for conversion into a hydrogen powered train. The introduction of these trains into service will depend on both a positive business case and on the regulatory approvals being given.

Motorcycles: Licensing

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the number of motorcycle licences issued in each of the last three years.

Jesse Norman: The specific information requested is not held. However, there are currently around 3.7 million drivers in Great Britain who hold entitlement to drive a motorcycle. The number of licences issued in each of the last three years following a notification of a motorcycle test pass being received by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is shown in the table below: YearNumber of motorcycle licences201536,939201639,492201741,150201830,870

London North Eastern Railway

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 October 2018 to Question 178321 on Railway signals, what assessment he has made of the merits of the ongoing use of the Intercity Express Programme Class 800/801 on the Great Western route following the Office for Rail and Road’s decision not to authorise the use of the same trains on the London and North Eastern Railway.

Andrew Jones: On Oct 2017, the Intercity Express Trains (Class 800) were approved by the Office for Rail & Road (ORR) for passenger service on the Great Western Route. It is for the ORR, as the safety regulator for Britain’s railways and GWR as the train operator and holder of the safety case, to ensure the on-going safe operation of services on the Great Western franchise.

Transport: Exhaust Emissions

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the level of Co2 emissions from private transport in (a) London, (b) England and Wales and (c) the UK.

Jesse Norman: Estimates of the levels of CO2 emissions from cars, mopeds and motorcycles for England and Wales and the UK are shown in the table below. Equivalent data for London is not available for these vehicle types. Figures include emissions from taxis and private hire vehicles.Carbon dioxide emissions from passenger cars, mopeds & motorcycles in 2016: UK (kilotonnes CO2)England and WalesUKPassenger cars61,03669,683Mopeds & motorcycles488531   Source: Greenhouse Gas Inventories for England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland: 1990-2016

Railways: Tickets

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department has made on delivering smart ticketing across the rail network by the end of 2018.

Andrew Jones: The Government’s £80m investment in accelerating smart ticketing builds on previous and existing franchise commitments, and sits alongside Government funding for Transport for the North’s smart ticketing programme and the Rail Delivery Group’s investment in barcode technology. Together, these programmes mean that the rail industry is on track to deliver a smart card or barcode option for singles, returns and seasons for journeys across almost all of the rail network by the end of the year. Rail ticketing in Northern Ireland is a devolved matter.

Cross Country Rail Franchise

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to Answer of 1 November 2018 to Question 183468 on Cross Country Rail Franchise, when he plans to publish the timetable for each stage of the Cross country rail franchise process.

Andrew Jones: The current Cross Country Franchise is due to expire in October 2019 with an option available of extending the current contract by one year to October 2020. We are currently reviewing options for the Cross Country Franchise and are therefore unable to make any comment as to what and when any decisions will be made.

Northern: Compensation

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has been made of the value of compensation payments made by Northern Rail to rail passengers in 2018.

Andrew Jones: The latest figures on the value of compensation payments paid by Northern Rail to passengers that are held by the Department for Transport are to the end of the 2017/18 financial year. These were published on 1 October [https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/744567/2017-2018-passenger-compensation-figures.pdf] and show that, in 2017/18, Northern Rail paid £567,000 in compensation to rail passengers.

Northern: Industrial Disputes

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 June 2018 to Question 155260 on Northern: Industrial Disputes, what payments his Department (a) has made and (b) plans to make to Arriva Northern for revenues lost due to official industrial action.

Andrew Jones: a) No payments have been made;b) Details of Arriva Rail North’s application made in accordance with the Franchise Agreement provisions concerning Industrial Action that is under consideration by the Department are subject to commercial confidentiality.

South Western Railway: Industrial Disputes

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 25 July 2018 to Question 166508 on South Western Railway: compensation, what payments (a) have been made and (b) are planned to be made to South Western Railway for revenues lost as a result of official industrial action.

Andrew Jones: a) No payments have been made;b) Details of SWR’s application made in accordance with the Franchise Agreement provisions concerning Industrial Action that is under consideration by the Department are subject to commercial confidentiality.

Buses: Exhaust Emissions

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to encourage the introduction of low emission buses outside London by amending the terms of the Bus Service Operators Grant.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Government is committed to reforming the Bus Service Operators Grant, including reform of the current low carbon emission bus incentive to further encourage the uptake of low and ultra-low emission buses outside London. In addition to the low carbon bus incentive, with £4 million per year paid to bus operators, since 2010 the Government has provided almost £150 million to help bus operators in England and Wales purchase low and ultra-low emission buses.

Railways: Timetables

Mohammad Yasin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken to ensure that (a) the rail industry is ready for the timetable changes due to be implemented on 9 December 2018 and (b) those changes will be delivered without adverse effects on passengers.

Andrew Jones: At the Department’s request, Andrew Haines (Network Rail CEO) led industry in reviewing plans for the December 2018 timetable in light of the disruption seen in May 2018. The rail industry advised reductions in the scale of the planned changes for the December 2018 timetable, specifically to reduce the risk of disruption for passengers. In addition, the rail industry has put in place additional assurance processes to test that plans for delivery of the timetable are robust and the Secretary of State has received on-going assurance from industry leaders on its readiness for the implementation of timetable change on 09 December 2018.

Crossrail 2 Line

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made on confirming the final proposed route for Crossrail 2.

Andrew Jones: The Crossrail 2 Independent Affordability Review, chaired by Mike Gerrard, has provided interim recommendations to the Secretary of State for Transport and Mayor of London this summer, including recommendations for further work to ensure the scheme taken forward is affordable. This further work is now being taken forward to inform the next steps for the project, including looking at route options, and to subsequently complete and finalise the Review. Following the additional work, we expect to publish the findings of the Gerrard Review in due course.

Roads: Standards

James Frith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the level of funding required to ensure highway roads are protected and do not significantly deteriorate in (a) Bury (b) the North West and (c) England.

Jesse Norman: The Secretary of State for Transport meets regularly with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to discuss a wide range of issues. From the £420 million for road maintenance announced in the Budget 2018, the Department for Transport has allocated a) Bury with £0.903 million (b) the North West with £53.094 million and (c) England with £420 million. This funding was provided to authorities on 13 November 2018. This funding is in addition to just under £6.2 billion we are allocating to highway authorities between 2015 and 2021 for local highways maintenance, including £296 million through the pothole action fund.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Tunisia: Human Rights

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Tunisia on the closure of its Truth and Dignity Commission; and what steps he is taking to encourage that Government to fulfill its promises of justice for victims of human rights abuses under the previous regime.

Alistair Burt: The Commission was established with a fixed term mandate in a 2013 law. In May, the Tunisian Government gave the Commission an extension until the end of this year in order to give additional time for the Commission to file its final report. We support Tunisian justice and reconciliation, but it is for the Tunisian Government and people to determine the best way to achieve this.​

Bahrain: Political Prisoners

Karen Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps have been taken to help ensure that Bahraini female political prisoners Hajer Mansoor, Medina Ali, and Najah Yusuf will be protected from reprisals when their case is raised at the (a) UK Parliament and (b) United Nations.

Alistair Burt: The Honourable Lady will be aware from previous answers to questions and from my reply to the Westminster Hall Debate on 11 September that our Embassy in Bahrain and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office continue to monitor the cases of Hajer Mansoor, Najah Ahmed Yusuf and Medina Ali and that we have raised the cases at a senior level with the Government of Bahrain.We encourage those with concerns about treatment in detention to report these to the appropriate oversight body. We urge these oversight bodies to carry out swift and thorough investigations into any such claims. We understand that the National Institution for Human Rights and the Ministry of Interior Ombudsman are aware of these cases and have been in contact with the three individuals.

Bahrain: Political Prisoners

Karen Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to authorities in Bahrain on the restrictions on (a) phone calls, (b) family visits and (c) allocated time outside the cell imposed on female political prisoners in Isa Town Prison.

Alistair Burt: I refer the Honourable Lady to the answer I gave to question 188257. Our Embassy in Bahrain and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office continue to monitor the cases of Hajer Mansoor, Najah Ahmed Yusuf and Medina Ali. We have raised the cases at a senior level with the Government of Bahrain.We encourage those with concerns about treatment in detention to report these to the appropriate oversight body. We urge these oversight bodies to carry out swift and thorough investigations into any such claims. We understand that the National Institution for Human Rights and the Ministry of Interior Ombudsman are aware of these cases and have been in contact with the three individuals.

Egypt: Human Rights

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Egyptian counterpart on the arrest of Huda Abdelmonem and eighteen other human rights activists in that country on 1 November.

Alistair Burt: We are aware of reports about the recent arrests of journalists, activists and human rights defenders in Egypt. Egypt is a Foreign and Commonwealth Office Human Rights Priority Country and the UK regularly raises concerns about human rights with the Egyptian Government both in public and private. On 18 September we issued a statement at the UN Human Rights Council in which we raised specific concern about the 'arrests of activists, bloggers and journalists'. I also raised our human rights concerns with the Egyptian Foreign Minister during my visit to Cairo on 14 October. We are tracking the cases in question and welcome the release of Abdel Khalik Farouk and Ibrahim el-Khateib on 29 October pending investigation.

Azzoz Maghoub and Ezzat Ghoniem

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Egyptian counterpart on the whereabouts of human rights lawyers Ezzat Ghoneim and Azzoz Maghoub.

Alistair Burt: We are aware of reports about the recent arrests of journalists, activists and human rights defenders in Egypt. Egypt is a Foreign and Commonwealth Office Human Rights Priority Country and the UK regularly raises concerns about human rights with the Egyptian Government both in public and private. On 18 September we issued a statement at the UN Human Rights Council in which we raised specific concern about the 'arrests of activists, bloggers and journalists'. I also raised our human rights concerns with the Egyptian Foreign Minister during my visit to Cairo on 14 October. We are tracking the cases in question and welcome the release of Abdel Khalik Farouk and Ibrahim el-Khateib on 29 October pending investigation.

Abdel Khalek Farouk and Ibrahim el-Khateib

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Egyptian counterpart on reports of the arrest of Abdel Khalik Farouk and Ibrahim el-Khateib on 21 October 2018.

Alistair Burt: We are aware of reports about the recent arrests of journalists, activists and human rights defenders in Egypt. Egypt is a Foreign and Commonwealth Office Human Rights Priority Country and the UK regularly raises concerns about human rights with the Egyptian Government both in public and private. On 18 September we issued a statement at the UN Human Rights Council in which we raised specific concern about the 'arrests of activists, bloggers and journalists'. I also raised our human rights concerns with the Egyptian Foreign Minister during my visit to Cairo on 14 October. We are tracking the cases in question and welcome the release of Abdel Khalik Farouk and Ibrahim el-Khateib on 29 October pending investigation.

Brazil: Foreign Relations

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the President-elect of Brazil.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​The Foreign Secretary has had no discussions to date with the President-elect of Brazil. The Prime Minister wrote to President-elect Jair Bolsonaro following his election. Our Ambassador to Brazil met him during the campaign, as he did the other candidates, and since the election has met members of his transition team.

Syria: Politics and Government

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the proportion of the area of Idlib province in Syria that is under the control of (a) Hay’at Tahrir a-Sham and (b) the Syrian Salvation Government.

Alistair Burt: Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the HTS-affiliated so-called Syrian Salvation Government retain influence over parts of Idlib province. However, given the fluid situation and the often limited extent of governance on the ground, it is not possible to provide a reliable estimate for territorial control.

Syria: Abduction

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information he Department holds on the organisations responsible for the kidnap for ransom of (a) aid workers, (b) lawyers and (c) other civil society representatives operating in Idlib province in Syria.

Alistair Burt: A number of armed groups operate in Idlib province, several of which have either engaged in or pose a risk of kidnap for ransom. There remains a very high risk of kidnapping in Idlib, as there is throughout Syria, which can be for financial or political gain. An individual's occupation may not protect them against kidnapping, and many terrorists in Syria view those engaged in humanitarian aid work as legitimate targets.

Arms Control

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the outcomes of the NATO Conference on WMD Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation held in Reykjavik on 29 and 30 October 2018; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Alan Duncan: The UK was represented at senior level at the NATO Conference on WMD Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation held in Reykjavik on 29 and 30 October 2018. This was a useful opportunity to exchange views on the latest developments in the field of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation issues, including developments in the use of chemical weapons and missile technology. We are grateful to the Government of Iceland for hosting the event.

Chemical Weapons Convention

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government’s priorities are for (a) the Conference of States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention and (b) the Chemical Weapons Convention Review Conference due to be held on 19 and 20 November 2018 and 21 to 30 November 2018 respectively.

Sir Alan Duncan: The United Kingdom’s priorities for both the Conference of States Parties and Review Conference are to continue working with states around the world to support progress towards universal and full national implementation of the Convention and to uphold the ban on chemical weapons development, production, stockpiling and use. The UK will focus on strengthening implementation of the Convention including through effective implementation of the Decision taken at the June 2018 special Conference of States Parties on which the former Foreign Secretary updated the House on 9 July (Official Report, House of Commons, volume 644, column 29WS), and securing a budget for 2019 to allow the critical work of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to continue unimpeded.The fact that I plan to represent the UK at the Review Conference, and my noble friend the Deputy Leader of the House of Lords and Minister of State for Defence also plans to attend the Conference of States Parties, indicates the importance the United Kingdom attaches to the Convention and the significant role it plays in the rules-based international system.​

Russia: Ukraine

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications of the recent termination by the Ukrainian government of the 1997 Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between that country and Russia for the prospects of reaching a negotiated settlement to the ongoing disputes between those countries in line with the Minsk Accords.

Sir Alan Duncan: Russia’s actions in Ukraine have deliberately violated a number of international agreements and commitments including the 1997 Russia-Ukraine Treaty of Friendship. We continue to work with international partners to support Ukraine as it deals with the ongoing impact of Russia’s aggression against it.We need to be very clear about where the fundamental problem lies. It is Russia which created this conflict, Russia which supplies weaponry and personnel to the separatists, and Russia which refrains from using its considerable influence on the separatists to get them to comply with their Minsk commitments.We fully support diplomatic efforts through the Minsk Process. It is imperative that Russia abides by its commitments under the Minsk Agreement and withdraws its forces from all of Ukraine, including Crimea.​

Russia: Ukraine

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the recent decision by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople granting autocephaly to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church on diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Russia.

Sir Alan Duncan: The granting of autocephaly by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is a matter for the Orthodox Church. We are closely monitoring developments and support constructive dialogue between Ukraine and Russia. In addition, we continue to work with church contacts to encourage a measured response and to remind all parties of their obligation to uphold the human right to freedom of religion or belief within their jurisdiction.

Ukraine: Peacekeeping Operations

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the progress of discussions between the Governments of (a) Ukraine, (b) Russia, (c) France and (d) Germany toward reaching an agreement on the size and mandate of a potential UN peacekeeping mission for eastern Ukraine; and what information his Department holds on when such discussions were last held.

Sir Alan Duncan: The UK is ready to discuss proposals for a UN peacekeeping mission drawn up in such a way as to offer meaningful progress towards peace in the Donbas. Any international mission must aim to achieve full implementation of the Minsk Agreements and full restoration of Ukraine's sovereignty over its territory. A number of proposals have been made and discussed at international level. We are clear that the international community should only accept a resolution for a peacekeeping mission in eastern Ukraine which has the genuine aim of bringing about a lasting resolution to the conflict.

Russia: Ukraine

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his counterpart in Russia on urging the Government of that country to de-escalate its military build-up in the Sea of Azov.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Foreign Secretary has not made direct representations to Foreign Minister Lavrov about the Sea of Azov. However, at a UN Security Council Open Briefing on the situation in Ukraine on 30 October, at which Russia was present, the UK made a statement to UN members.The UK made clear that the opening of the Kerch bridge was a flagrant violation of Ukraine's sovereignty. The UK's Permanent Representative to the UN noted that Russia's systematic disruption and detention of both Ukrainian and third country flagged vessels in the Sea of Azov since April 2018 was yet another attempt to destabilise Ukraine.

Russia: Ukraine

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the progress of the arbitration of legal claims made by the Government of Ukraine under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea relating to Russia’s military presence in the Sea of Azov.

Sir Alan Duncan: The UK is aware of Ukraine’s legal action in relation to the Sea of Azov at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the Hague. We understand that the arbitration is ongoing and, as such, it would not be appropriate to comment at this stage.

Iran: Sanctions

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Written Statement of 5 November 2018, on uploading the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, HCWS1061 whether he has plans to allow UK registered subsidiaries of US companies to trade with Iran through the Special Purpose Vehicle; and what discussions officials in his Department have had with representatives of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Alistair Burt: Undertaking trade with Iran is a commercial decision for individual businesses to take on the basis of considering all possible risks, and firms should seek their own legal advice before doing so. Once it is established, the same will be true for companies that may wish to use the Special Purpose Vehicle. As a party to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), the British Government remains committed to its full implementation and is in regular communication with the remaining parties to the deal.

Syria: Islamic State

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the (a) Government of Turkey and (b) Syrian Democratic Forces on the reported suspension of operations against Daesh by the SDF in response to recent strikes carried out by the Turkish air force in and around Kobane.

Alistair Burt: The UK, with our allies, has raised concerns with Turkey about the recent escalation and we have stressed that our shared goal, as members of the Global Coalition against Daesh, must remain completing the defeat of Daesh. The Coalition has made similar points to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Following a reduction in violence, the SDF announced on 11 November the resumption of operations against Daesh.

Bahrain: Political Prisoners and Torture

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many political prisoners there are in Bahrain; and how many people who have been found to have administered torture have been tried and imprisoned.

Alistair Burt: We do not hold figures for the number of prisoners in Bahrain.The United Kingdom encourages those with concerns about treatment in detention to report them to the appropriate oversight body. We also encourage the oversight body to carry out swift and thorough investigations into any such reports.The oversight bodies issue statistics on their investigations in public statements and reports. Such reports are available on the oversight websites. The UK does not hold figures for those prosecuted as a result of investigations.​

Nabeel Rajab

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Bahraini Government for the release of Nabeel Rajab.

Alistair Burt: I refer the Hon. Gentlemen to the answer I gave to question 180116 on 23 October. Our Embassy in Bahrain has closely monitored the trials of Mr Rajab. We have raised the case at senior levels as part of the UK's ongoing open dialogue with Bahrain.

Philippines: Human Rights

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the protection of human rights in the Philippines.

Mark Field: The UK is fully committed to the promotion and protection of human rights, and reports of human rights abuses in the Philippines remain troubling. We are concerned by the high death toll associated with the 'war on drugs', the situation of land rights and human rights defenders, developments on media freedom, and moves to reintroduce the death penalty.Our Embassy in Manila has made these concerns clear with senior officials and government figures and it is in regular contact with human rights groups and relevant UN bodies on a range of human rights issues. We also work closely with the wider international community, including our EU partners, to press for investigations into instances of abuse and to encourage the protection of human rights defenders.I raised these issues with a number of Philippine Ministers during my trip to Manila in August 2018 and with the Philippine Ambassador in April 2018. In the UK item 2 statement at the UN Human Rights Council on 11 September 2018, we urged the Philippines to investigate killings associated with the "war on drugs" and to ensure the safety of Land Rights defenders.

Libya: Politics and Government

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Libya; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The British Government remains deeply concerned about the security situation in Libya and strongly condemns any threats or use of force which endanger civilian life or undermine the UN-led political process. We appreciate the recent efforts of UN Special Representative Ghassan Salamé to establish a ceasefire in Tripoli, and are supportive of the creation of the Security Arrangements Committee, which aims to develop more sustainable security arrangements in the capital.On 12-13 November I represented the United Kingdom at the Palermo conference on Libya hosted by the Italian Prime Minister. The conference demonstrated broad support for Ghassan Salamé’s recalibrated action plan to achieve progress on the political, security and economic tracks in Libya. In particular, Ghassan Salamé intends to convene a broad-based Libyan National Conference in Libya in early 2019, in order to work out a way forward with all Libya's stakeholders and pave the way to elections. The UK is clear that there can be no military solution to the conflict in Libya. The only way of achieving security and stability is through an inclusive political settlement. In addition, the UK has allocated £12 million through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) this year to boost political participation and economic development, and to support the delivery of greater security, stability and resilience, including through tackling extremism.

Asia Bibi

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with (a) the Home Secretary and (b) his counterpart in Pakistan on offering asylum in the UK to Asia Bibi and her family.

Mark Field: It is the long standing position of the Government not to comment on individual immigration issues.Asia Bibi’s acquittal will be very welcome news to her family and those who have campaigned in Pakistan and around the world for her release. The UK continues to follow developments on this case very closely.

Department for International Development

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the compliance with (a) Article 23 of the Fourth Geneva Convention and (b)  Rule 55 of the International Committee of the Red Cross’s Customary International Law Study of the restriction of supplies of food and medicine through the port of Hodeidah in Yemen.

Alistair Burt: The UK continues to raise concerns with the Saudi led-Coalition about the potential impact of any assault on the port and city of Hodeidah and is monitoring the resumption of hostilities in and around Hodeidah closely.As we have consistently made clear, the Coalition must ensure that any further military operations in and around Hodeidah are conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law, including on the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and do not disrupt commercial and humanitarian flows both through the port and onwards across the country. For their part, the Houthis must not compromise civilian facilities (such as Hodeidah port as well as schools, hospitals and food storage facilities) and allow unhindered access to humanitarian agencies throughout areas they control.To date, Red Sea ports remain operational and continue to import most of the food and fuel on which Yemenis rely.

Department for International Development: Billing

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of contracts issued by his Department and contractors include provisions to impose, as between parties to the subcontract, that any payment due from the contractor to a subcontractor under the contract is to be made no later than the end of a period of 30 days from the date on which the relevant invoice is regarded as valid and undisputed, as required by the Public Contract Regulations 2015.

Alistair Burt: DFID’s standard contract terms and conditions require DFID contractors to pay undisputed sums due to their sub-contractors within 30 days from the receipt of a valid invoice and to ensure all sub-contracts contain the same provision.

Non-governmental Organisations: Location

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what information her Department holds on the number of NGOs that have (a) relocated from the UK and (b) opened additional offices in another EU country since 2016.

Alistair Burt: The Department for International Development does not hold systemic information on the relocation or opening of additional offices of NGOs. Where NGOs have an active funding arrangement with us, they inform us of a change in registered address when that occurs.

Overseas Aid

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many projects funded by her Department have had a reduction in their activities as a result of changes in the value of the pound since June 2016.

Alistair Burt: DFID’s policy is to sign agreements and make payments in sterling to mitigate foreign exchange risk. Activities within programmes will have increased and decreased since 2016 for a variety of reasons. It is not possible to identify which might be the result of foreign exchange movements.

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that humanitarian aid is provided for the 300,000 civilians trapped in Hodeidah, Yemen.

Alistair Burt: The UK continues to raise concerns with the Saudi led-Coalition about the potential impact of any assault on the port and city of Hodeidah and is monitoring the resumption of hostilities in and around Hodeidah closely. We have consistently made clear, the Coalition must ensure that any further military operations in and around Hodeidah are conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law, including on the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and do not disrupt commercial and humanitarian flows both through the port and onwards across the country. For their part, the Houthis must not compromise civilian facilities (such as Hodeidah port as well as schools, hospitals and food storage facilities) and allow unhindered access to humanitarian agencies throughout areas they control. UK aid partners continue to deliver life-saving support on the ground as part of our £170 million response in Yemen this year, including cash transfers to 21,000 people displaced from Hodeidah, as well as access to 75,000 litres of clean water a day.

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effect of the latest military offensive in Hodeidah with regard to her Department''s provision of support in that region to prevent malnutrition.

Alistair Burt: On World Food Day this year, the UK announced a package of £96.5 million to help UNICEF continue tackle malnutrition in Yemen over the coming three years. This package will screen 2.2 million children under the age of five for malnutrition and provide urgent treatment for 70,000 of the most vulnerable children.The recent increase in military activity in and around Hodeidah has had a relatively limited impact on this programme so far, as the programme’s activities are implemented countrywide, not exclusively in Hodeidah. The continued flow of goods through and onwards from Hodeidah port, however, will be critical to ensure that humanitarian supplies can reach those in need.In Hodeidah city, stocks of supplies including nutrition, and fuel are still available thanks to the pre-positioning by UNICEF and its partners. Efforts are now focused on scaling up lifesaving activities within the humanitarian response.

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the humanitarian impact of the latest military offensive on Hodeidah port in Yemen.

Alistair Burt: The UK continues to raise concerns with the Saudi led-Coalition about the potential impact of any assault on the port and city of Hodeidah and is monitoring the resumption of hostilities in and around Hodeidah closely. As we have consistently made clear, the Coalition must ensure that any further military operations in and around Hodeidah are conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law and do not disrupt commercial and humanitarian flows. The impact of the violence around Hodeidah on commercial and humanitarian access is one of the main reasons behind the UN’s warning of the growing risk of food insecurity in Yemen. We are concerned by reports that access to the Red Sea mills has been restricted as result of the latest fighting. UK aid partners continue to deliver life-saving support on the ground as part of our £170 million response in Yemen this year, including cash transfers to 21,000 people displaced from Hodeidah, as well as access to 75,000 litres of clean water a day.

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to (a) increase food, medicine and fuel imports to Hodeidah port and (b) distribute those imports to the areas of the country that rely on those imports.

Alistair Burt: The UK government continues to raise concerns with the Saudi led-Coalition about the potential impact of any assault on the port and city of Hodeidah and is in regular contact with the Coalition about the need to ensure that any further military operations do not disrupt commercial and humanitarian flows both through the port and onwards across the country. To date, Red Sea ports remain operational and continue to import most of the food and fuel on which Yemenis rely.We have consistently made it clear, the Houthis must facilitate access throughout areas they control which is where most of the population live.As a part of our effort to secure vital access for food, fuel, and medicine into and throughout Yemen, the UK is also providing £1.3 million to the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism to give the Saudi-led Coalition confidence that weapons are not coming in to Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen on large commercial ships.

Yemen: Civilians

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to safeguard the 300,000 civilians trapped in Hodeidah, Yemen.

Alistair Burt: The UK continues to raise concerns with the Saudi led-Coalition about the potential impact of any assault on the port and city of Hodeidah and is monitoring the resumption of hostilities in and around Hodeidah closely. We have consistently made clear, the Coalition must ensure that any further military operations in and around Hodeidah are conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law, including on the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and do not disrupt commercial and humanitarian flows both through the port and onwards across the country. For their part, the Houthis must not compromise civilian facilities (such as Hodeidah port as well as schools, hospitals and food storage facilities) and allow unhindered access to humanitarian agencies throughout areas they control. UK aid partners continue to deliver life-saving support on the ground as part of our £170 million response in Yemen this year, including cash transfers to 21,000 people displaced from Hodeidah, as well as access to 75,000 litres of clean water a day.

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that humanitarian provision reaches the 300,000 civilians trapped in Hodeidah, Yemen.

Alistair Burt: The UK continues to raise concerns with the Saudi led-Coalition about the potential impact of any assault on the port and city of Hodeidah and is monitoring the resumption of hostilities in and around Hodeidah closely. We have consistently made it clear, the Coalition must ensure that any further military operations in and around Hodeidah do not disrupt commercial and humanitarian flows both through the port and onwards across the country. For their part, the Houthis must not compromise civilian facilities (such as Hodeidah port and food storage facilities) and allow unhindered access to humanitarian agencies throughout areas they control. UK aid partners continue to deliver life-saving support on the ground as part of our £170 million response in Yemen this year, including cash transfers to 21,000 people displaced from Hodeidah, as well as access to 75,000 litres of clean water a day.

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development,what assessment she has made of the effect of the latest military offensive in Hodeidah with regard to her Department''s provision of support in that region to prevent malnutrition.

Alistair Burt: On World Food Day this year, the UK announced a package of £96.5 million to help UNICEF continue tackle malnutrition in Yemen over the coming three years. This package will screen 2.2 million children under the age of five for malnutrition and provide urgent treatment for 70,000 of the most vulnerable children.The recent increase in military activity in and around Hodeidah has had a relatively limited impact on this programme so far, as the programme’s activities are implemented countrywide, not exclusively in Hodeidah. The continued flow of goods through and onwards from Hodeidah port, however, will be critical to ensure that humanitarian supplies can reach those in need.In Hodeidah city, stocks of supplies including nutrition, and fuel are still available thanks to the pre-positioning by UNICEF and its partners. Efforts are now focused on scaling up lifesaving activities within the humanitarian response.

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the humanitarian impact of the latest military offensive on Hodeidah port in Yemen.

Alistair Burt: The UK continues to raise concerns with the Saudi led-Coalition about the potential impact of any assault on the port and city of Hodeidah and is monitoring the resumption of hostilities in and around Hodeidah closely. As we have consistently made clear, the Coalition must ensure that any further military operations in and around Hodeidah are conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law and do not disrupt commercial and humanitarian flows. The impact of the violence around Hodeidah on commercial and humanitarian access is one of the main reasons behind the UN’s warning of the growing risk of food insecurity in Yemen. We are concerned by reports that access to the Red Sea mills has been restricted as result of the latest fighting. UK aid partners continue to deliver life-saving support on the ground as part of our £170 million response in Yemen this year, including cash transfers to 21,000 people displaced from Hodeidah, as well as access to 75,000 litres of clean water a day.

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to (a) increase food, medicine and fuel imports to Hodeidah port and (b) distribute those imports to the areas of the country that rely on those imports.

Alistair Burt: The UK government continues to raise concerns with the Saudi led-Coalition about the potential impact of any assault on the port and city of Hodeidah and is in regular contact with the Coalition about the need to ensure that any further military operations do not disrupt commercial and humanitarian flows both through the port and onwards across the country. To date, Red Sea ports remain operational and continue to import most of the food and fuel on which Yemenis rely.We have consistently made it clear, the Houthis must facilitate access throughout areas they control which is where most of the population live.As a part of our effort to secure vital access for food, fuel, and medicine into and throughout Yemen, the UK is also providing £1.3 million to the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism to give the Saudi-led Coalition confidence that weapons are not coming in to Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen on large commercial ships.

Developing Countries: Weapons

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many projects funded by her Department support the long-term needs of victims of (a) explosive violence, (b) land mines and (c) other weapons.

Alistair Burt: DFID does not fund individual victim assistant programmes, as set out in the UK’s mine action policy. Support and assistance to victims of landmines and improvised explosive devices (ERW) is best provided through broader social and economic development programmes in affected countries, rather than through targeting particular groups.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/clearing-a-path-to-development-mine-action.DFID has committed £100million over three years to reduce the impact of landmines and ERW on communities through programmes that survey and clear land; provide mine risk education to help communities to understand the dangers of abandoned mines and ERW; and help governments manage their own landmine and ERW contamination more efficiently.

Conflict Prevention

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will publish the programmes to (a) promote peace-building and (b) prevent conflict that are in receipt of funding by her Department.

Alistair Burt: All details of DFID programmes on peacebuilding and conflict prevention are published on the Development Tracker at https://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/ in line with DFID’s transparency policy and commitments. This includes centrally managed funding to the UN Peacebuilding Fund and bilateral projects focused on specific countries, all of which can be searched using the relevant key words. Details are updated routinely once a month. Prior to this all new data is required to go through an approval stage before they are eligible for publication. From the date this approval is received it can take up to 2 months for that information to publish to the Development tracker. This is to enable the project team to ensure that the information that they have provided is correct prior to the monthly publication refresh.Where funding from the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund is managed by DFID, programme summaries for all can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/conflict-stability-and-security-fund-programme-summaries#programme-summaries.

Department for Education

Pupils: Mental Health

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has plans to require schools to provide advice on mental health to pupils.

Nick Gibb: Schools will be required to teach mental health as part of the Department’s plans to make health education compulsory. The Government is currently seeking views on the draft guidance and regulations, which will support the new subjects of relationships education in primary, relationships and sex education in secondary, and health education in all schools. The consultation includes questions on what support schools will need to deliver high-quality teaching. The consultation closed on the 7 November. https://consult.education.gov.uk/pshe/relationships-education-rse-health-education/.The draft statutory guidance sets out core content that schools will teach. The draft mental health content includes teaching pupils how to recognise and talk about their emotions, how to judge when they or someone they know needs support and prevention, including the benefits of physical exercise.Schools will decide what further advice to provide to their pupils. To support schools, the Government will fund the training of a Designated Senior Lead for mental health in every school, to put in place a whole school approach to mental health and well-being. This can cover activities as part of pastoral support and advice for individual pupils with specific needs.

Schools: Children in Care

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that school admissions authorities are aware of the guidance to give second highest priority in their over-subscription criteria to children who were previously in state care outside of England.

Nick Gibb: In December 2017 the Department announced that, when the opportunity arises, it intends to amend the School Admissions Code to require admission authorities to give children who were previously in state care outside of England highest priority for admission into school. Until such time when the relevant changes to the Code can be made, admission authorities have been asked to use their current flexibilities in setting their own admission arrangements to grant such children second highest admissions priority in their oversubscription criteria. To further encourage admission authorities to make this change, additional advice was issued about this matter to all local authorities, with a request that it is circulated to all own admission authorities in their respective areas in August 2018.

Design and Technology: GCSE

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of students sitting the design and technology GCSE received a grade C or above in 2016-17.

Nick Gibb: The table below provides information on the proportion of pupils entered for design and technology GCSEs[1] in 2016/17 who achieved grade C or above.SubjectPercentage of pupils entered who achieved A*-C or above in GCSE in the listed subjects 2016/17Design and Technology: Electronic Products68.6%Design and Technology: Food Technology61%Design and Technology: Graphic Products58.8%Design and Technology: Resistant Materials58.1%Design and Technology: Systems & Control68.3%Design and Technology: Textiles Technology72.9%Other Design and Technology[2]58.5%   [1] Based on GCSE examinations only - excludes equivalents[2] Includes Graphics, Motor Vehicle, Studies, Design & Technology, D&T Engineering and D&T Product Design.

Department for Education: Energy

Stuart C. McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the quantity was of (a) electricity and (b) natural gas used by (i) his Department, (ii) Ofqual, (iii) Ofsted and (iv) Equality and Human Rights Commission in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Stuart C. McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what was the cost was of (a) electricity and (b) natural gas used by (i) his Department, (ii) Ofqual, (iii) Ofsted and (iv) Equality and Human Rights Commission in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: The Department for Education (DfE) is committed to delivering a sustainable government estate and reducing its carbon footprint.The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) was funded by DfE as the sponsor department for the period of 2015 to 2016 and for the period of 2017 to 2018. The EHRC’s spending on electricity and natural gas is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.The information requested for DfE, Ofqual and Ofsted is in the attached table in Annex A. The figure for DfE includes all of its agencies and non-departmental bodies and has been adjusted to exclude Ofsted. We are unable to report data from locations where landlords do not provide data. 



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Sixth Form Education

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will estimate the cost of raising the national funding rate for students in sixth form colleges to (a) £4,760 per year for 16 and 17-year-olds and (b) £3,000 per year for 18-year-olds.

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representations he has received on increasing the level of national funding for sixth form colleges; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The department has not made those specific estimates. I am aware of representations on the subject of funding for 16 to 19 year olds including the Raise the Rate campaign, and incoming letters from MPs and the 16 to 19 sector.We have protected the base rate of funding for 16 to 19 year olds for all types of providers until the end of the current spending review period in 2020. We are considering the funding and resilience of the further education sector ahead of the next Spending Review, and as with other areas of departmental spending, 16 to 19 funding for subsequent years will be considered as part of that review.

Sixth Form Education: GCE A-level

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will estimate the number of sixth form colleges which have ceased offering A level courses in (a) French, (b) German, (c) Spanish and (d) music in the last ten years for which data is available; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The department does not collect information on the subjects offered by individual institutions. However, the number of students entering each subject can be provided as a proxy, and this data is available at institutional level from 2011/12. Between 2011/12 and 2016/17, there have been 99 sixth form colleges that were open for at least one year. The attached table gives the number of pupils entering each subject at each institution for each year.Some sixth form colleges were not always open, have since closed, or have converted to academies (these are denoted as ‘-’ in the figures). Having zero entries into a subject does not necessarily mean that the subject was not offered by the sixth form in that year - it could be the case that no students chose to enter it or if they did, they sat no exams in that particular year. Some sixth forms also have small cohorts of students and therefore the numbers entering different subjects is naturally low and prone to fluctuation; this could lead some sixth forms to have no entries in particular years.



Table_for_188729_of_students_at_sixth_form_college
(Excel SpreadSheet, 86.5 KB)

Academies: Finance

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his Department’s policy is on the period in which a multi-academy trust must repay advances made by the Education and Skills Funding Agency; and if he will make a statement.

Nadhim Zahawi: An advance to an academy trust is an early payment on its General Annual Grant, which is allocated to the trust for that year. It is not additional funding for the trust. With each advance, there will be a mutually agreed schedule of monthly reductions to offset the advance. The department continues to work with the sector to build capacity and expertise in financial management and support effective school resource management with specialist advisers, three year financial forecasting and developing buying hubs and national deals for all schools. Where an academy trust requires additional support, the Education and Skills Funding Agency will work with the trust to build its capacity and help it reach a stronger position.

Academies

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his Department’s policy is on (a) the provision for schools of (a) financial and (b) other information on a multi-academy trust that they are due to join and (b) whether having been provided with that information those schools should have the opportunity to review their decision; and if he will make a statement.

Nadhim Zahawi: The department makes a range of information publicly available for schools and other interested parties. Information on the finances of the multi-academy trust (MAT) they intend to join is available through the schools financial benchmarking tool, found here:https://schools-financial-benchmarking.service.gov.uk/.Information on the people involved in the governance of the trust is available, from either the trust’s own website, or the Get Information about Schools website here:https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/.The department encourages Governing Bodies to consider this information before applying to become an academy. In addition, where a school is applying for an academy order to become an academy and join a trust, the Regional Schools Commissioner (RSC) will consider the financial health of the school and the MAT the school is joining as part of a robust assessment of the ability of the MAT to run the school. The Governing Body of a maintained school can decide not to proceed with conversion before an academy funding agreement is entered into. There are different arrangements when a school is directed to become an academy. In this situation, the RSC, with advice from their Headteacher Board, identifies an approved sponsor to run the school. The finances of the school, MAT and the MATs ability to run and improve the school are key elements that inform the decision. The sponsor is however under a duty to communicate their plans to improve the school to parents.

Physical Education: Boating

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department made on potential merits of including sailing on the national curriculum for Physical Education.

Nadhim Zahawi: The national curriculum sets out the aspects of physical education that should be taught to pupils. It does not stipulate that particular sports should be taught. The department published subject content for reformed physical education GCSE, AS and A levels in England in January 2015. Both sets of subject content include a list of activities in which students can be assessed. On 24 October 2018, the department launched a review inviting proposals to add activities to the list. This review can be accessed at: https://consult.education.gov.uk/gcse-and-alevel-reform/review-of-gcse-as-and-a-level-physical-education-a/. The deadline for responses is 20 December 2018.

Special Educational Needs

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many post-16 specialist SEND schools there have been in each of the last 10 years to date.

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the capacity has been of post-16 specialist SEND schools in each of the last 10 years to date.

Anne Milton: The information requested, which identifies post-16 specialist SEND schools specifically, is not held by the department. The age range of pupils within specialist SEND schools varies significantly, and specific phases, including post-16, are not reported on.The information requested on the capacity of post-16 specialist SEND schools is not held by the department. The Children and Families Act (2014) requires local authorities to work with parents, young people, and providers to keep the provision for children and young people with special needs and disabilities under review, including its sufficiency.

Sixth Form Education: Finance

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the national funding rate for sixth form students.

Anne Milton: We have protected the base rate of funding for 16 to 19 year olds for all types of providers until the end of the current spending review period in 2020. We are actively exploring the efficiency and resilience of post-16 education and will be assessing how far existing and forecast funding and regulatory structures enable high quality provision. As with other areas of departmental spending, 16 to 19 funding from 2020 onwards will be considered as part of the next Spending Review.

Music: Education

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department's news story entitled Record numbers learning instruments in class thanks to music hubs, published on 24 October 2018, how many pupils were taught an instrument in class in each region in 2016-17.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department's news story entitled Record numbers learning instruments in class thanks to music hubs, published on 24 October 2018, how many of those music hubs are located in each region.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department's news story entitled Record numbers learning instruments in class thanks to music hubs, published on 24 October 2018, how many schools benefited from such music hubs in each of the region in 2016-17.

Nick Gibb: Information on the number of schools in each region who benefited from Music Hubs in 2016-17, the number of hubs located in each region and the number of pupils who were taught an instrument in class per region is shown in the table below. This information is contained in a survey published by Arts Council England which is available at:https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/children-and-young-people/music-education-hubs-survey.The number of schools in each region who benefited from Music Hubs in 2016-17, the number of hubs located in each region and the number of pupils who were taught an instrument in class per regionOffice for National Statistics Region Number of schools working with Hubs on core rolesNumber of Music Education Hubs in each regionNumber of pupils receiving whole class ensemble teaching2016-17Percentage of pupils receiving whole class ensembleteaching2016-17  East Midlands1,768757,0208.27%East of England2,3911161,9796.90%London2,23329114,3158.98%North East1,077672,03218.61%North West2,7091298,2609.06%South East3,10414105,2318.41%South West2,0051470,1909.53%West Midlands2,0211265,7677.30%Yorkshire and the Humber2,0521566,4478.09%Total19,360120711,2418.84%

Leader of the House

Children and Young People

Dr Paul Williams: To ask the Leader of the House, if she will (a) outline the terms of reference for the cross-departmental ministerial working group on family support from conception to the age of two and (b) confirm the membership of that group.

Andrea Leadsom: The terms of references for the Early Years Ministerial Group on Family Support are 'To make recommendations to relevant Secretaries of State on how the Government can improve the coordination and cost-effectiveness of early years (conception to age 2) family support and identify gaps in available provision’ .The Membership of this group includes:The Rt Hon Andrea Leadsom MP, Lord President of the Council, Leader of the House of Commons (Chair)The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP, Chief Secretary to the TreasuryJustin Tomlinson MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Family Support, Housing and Child MaintenanceNadhim Zahawi MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and FamiliesJackie Doyle-Price MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Mental Health and InequalitiesRishi Sunak MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Local Government)Victoria Atkins MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/leader-of-the-commons-to-chair-ministerial-group-on-family-support-from-conception-to-the-age-of-two

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Floods: Risk Assessment

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs,  what estimate he has made of the number of properties at threat of (a) flooding and (b) destruction from an average rise in global temperature of (i) 1.5 degrees and (ii) 2 degrees Celsius.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Environment Agency estimates there are 2.7 million properties at risk of river and coastal flooding, 3 million properties at risk of surface water flooding and some 660,000 properties at risk from all sources: river, coastal and surface water. The report can be found online at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/flood-and-coastal-risk-management-national-report   As set out in the Climate Change Act 2008, Defra publishes the Climate Change Risk Assessment every five years which highlights the climate risks requiring further action in the UK over the next five years. The UK Climate Change Risk Assessment 2017 Evidence Report provides an assessment of future flood and other risks and can be found at https://www.theccc.org.uk/tackling-climate-change/preparing-for-climate-change/uk-climate-change-risk-assessment-2017/).   Later this year, the Government will publish, with the Met Office, an updated set of UK Climate Projections – UKCP18. This will help the Government, businesses and the public understand the future climate and enable them to make climate-resilient decisions.

Paper: Waste Disposal

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has plans to (a) ban the sale of unrecyclable wrapping paper or (b) introduce a tax on such products.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: We have no plans to ban “non-recyclable” wrapping paper. Retailers are encouraged to provide information on whether their wrapping paper can be recycled or whether it should be disposed of in residual waste.   Packaging materials, including wrapping paper sold with the product, are covered by the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations which place a legal obligation on businesses that make or use packaging to ensure that a proportion of the packaging they sell is recovered and recycled.   This creates an incentive for companies to use less packaging and to ensure that their packaging can be recycled at end of life as it will reduce their costs in complying with the Regulations.   We have committed to exploring changes to the packaging producer responsibility scheme. This will look at all aspects of the regime, including mechanisms to encourage increased recyclability. More detail will be announced in the Resources and Waste Strategy, which will be published shortly.

Food

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government plans to take to increase food (a) production and (b) security when the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: As we leave the EU we want to support farmers to grow more, sell more and export more great British food. Productivity is the key driver of long-term economic growth and prosperity. Our future agriculture policy will allow farmers to provide a supply of healthy, home-grown produce made to high environmental and animal welfare standards. The future policy will be underpinned by measures to increase productivity and invest in new technology. This will help farmers become more profitable and reduce their environmental footprint. Leaving the EU is an opportunity to boost domestic productivity through research, adoption of best practice, investment in new tools and technologies and adoption of new business models.Further preparation for our withdrawal is continuing to be undertaken across the whole of government to consider how we best manage checks and controls in a range of scenarios. We have been very clear that when we leave the EU, we will categorically not dilute our world-leading set of standards on food safety and quality. We are committed to upholding these with robust and independent scientific and technical advice. Any products entering the UK market must meet our high standards of quality and safety.The UK has a high degree of food security, built on access to a range of sources including strong domestic production and imports from third countries. Consumers will continue to have access to a range of different products when we leave the EU.

Pet Travel Scheme

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that there is adequate veterinary capacity to meet the demand for (a) rabies (i) vaccinations and (ii) testing and (b) the issuing of health certificates for pets travelling to the EU in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

David Rutley: The Government is working with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and the British Veterinary Association (BVA) to ensure there is sufficient veterinary capacity in the United Kingdom. Currently all pet dogs, cat and ferrets leaving the UK for other EU countries are required to have rabies vaccinations, therefore leaving the EU is unlikely to significantly impact on veterinary capacity to carry out vaccinations. In the unlikely event that the United Kingdom leaves the EU without a deal and the UK is an unlisted third country under the EU Pet Travel Scheme (PTS) there would be some additional requirements that veterinarians would need to carry out to so that their clients’ pets could travel to the EU. These would be taking a blood sample for rabies antibody testing at an approved blood testing laboratory. However, provided a pet has an up-to-date rabies vaccination there would be no need to repeat the blood test during the animal’s lifetime. Should the UK become an unlisted third country after leaving the EU there may be an impact on demand for rabies serology tests in UK laboratories. We are preparing for an increase in demand on laboratories for these tests to enable pet owners to continue to visit the EU with their animals under all exit scenarios. For each trip a pet animal makes from the UK to the EU its owner would need a health certificate. Both the blood sample and health certificate would need to be completed by an Official Veterinarian (OV) authorised to issue pet travel documents. There are currently over 9,600 OVs authorised to issue pet travel documents in England, Scotland and Wales. In Northern Ireland the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs are responsible for pet travel documentation.

Pet Travel Scheme

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether pet owners will be compensated for following Government advice on preparing for the UK leaving the EU without a deal by paying for blood titre testing of rabies antibody levels ahead of travelling to the EU after 29 March 2019 in the event that an agreement is then reached.

David Rutley: We recognise the uncertainty for owners and vets regarding pet travel requirements after the UK leaves the EU. This is why we have issued practical advice to pet owners. On 6 November Defra issued advice on Pet travel to Europe after the UK leaves the EU, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pet-travel-to-europe-after-brexitThis gives advice to pet owners planning to take their pet to any EU country on the rules they would need to follow in the unlikely event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.It is important that owners understand any potential changes to pet travel after our departure from the EU to help inform their decision on whether to incur veterinary costs. To make sure a pet is able to travel from the UK to the EU after 29 March 2019 in any scenario, owners should contact their vet at least four months before travelling to get the latest advice.

Animals: Licensing

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations he has received on the implementation by local authorities of (a) the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities involving animals) (England) Regulations 2018 and (b) the statutory guidance on home boarding and dog stay care; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations he has received on the implementation of (a) the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities involving animals) (England) Regulations 2018 and (b) the statutory guidance on home boarding and dog day care; and if he will make a statement.

David Rutley: The Department has received representations from local authorities, businesses and welfare charities on these matters. Officials worked closely with the Canine and Feline Sector Group and local authorities to draft the guidance and to identify any potential issues with implementation. We have continued to engage with all interested parties, including individual home boarding businesses, and will make necessary amendments to the guidance in due course.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Cars: Export Duties

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what the tariff at World Trade Organisation rates would be on exporting a car made in the UK to the EU and (a) valued at £15,000 at the point of export and (b) valued at £25,000 at the point of export in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Chris Heaton-Harris: As set out in the White Paper the UK proposes a UK-EU free trade area for goods, to ensure continued frictionless access at the border to each other’s markets, with no tariffs, underpinned by an upfront commitment to a common rulebook on goods, including agri-food and a Facilitated Customs Arrangement to avoid customs checks and controls at our borders.However, in the unlikely event of a no deal scenario, trade with the EU will be on non-preferential, WTO terms. This means that most favoured nation (MFN) tariffs would apply to consignments between the UK and EU.The EU MFN rates are set out in the EU's Common Customs Tariff (CCT). The EU may change these rates between now and March 2019, but this provides an indication.The UK will apply its MFN rates to goods imported into the UK from the EU. The government will determine and publish these new UK duty rates before we leave the EU. They may be different from the rates in the EU’s CCT.

Dover Port: Domestic Visits

Jenny Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many official visits he has made to the Port of Dover since July 2018.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The former Secretary of State did not visit the Port of Dover. Ministers in the Department for Exiting the EU with responsibility for ports visited the Port of Dover twice this year. Former Minister Suella Braverman on the 14th May and Chris Heaton-Harris on the 24th August.DExEU ministers have visited 19 ports to date as part of a wider programme of engagement carried out by other Government ministers and officials to ports around the United Kingdom. Ministers from across Government have also carried out extensive engagement on EU exit with businesses and industry bodies from all sectors of the economy, including ports and the maritime industry, and will continue to do so.

Transport: West Midlands

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential effect on transport infrastructure in the West Midlands of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Chris Heaton-Harris: Ministers from the Department of Exiting the European Union have visited the West Midlands on a number of occasions since the referendum. The Government is committed to positive and productive engagement with businesses and local government in the West Midlands, as well as all parts of the UK, and will continue to work closely with them to understand the potential impact and opportunities presented by the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.We have already carried out very significant ‘no deal’ preparations, and we have now published 106 specific technical notices to help businesses, citizens and consumers to prepare for March 2019 in the event of a no deal scenario.These included 13 technical notices published by the Department for Transport covering road, rail, aviation and maritime. These technical notices set out, in detail, the potential effects on transport both at a regional and national level.

Attorney General

Attorney General: Brexit

Jon Trickett: To ask the Attorney General, how much his Department has spent on consultancy fees relating to the UK leaving the EU since July 2016.

Robert Buckland: The Attorney General’s Office has not incurred any spending on consultancy fees relating to the UK leaving the EU since July 2016.The Attorney General’s Office publishes spend over £25,000 on a monthly basis as part of its transparency data routine publication which is accessible here.

Crown Prosecution Service: Wales

Ben Lake: To ask the Attorney General, whether the Government has plans to close the Crown Prosecution Service office on (a) Greyfriars Road, Cardiff; (b) Wrexham Road, Mold and (c) Grove Place, Swansea.

Robert Buckland: The Crown Prosecution Service has no plans to close its offices on (a) Greyfriars Road, Cardiff; (b) Wrexham Road, Mold and (c) Grove Place, Swansea.

Wales Office

Wales Office: Energy

Stuart C. McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what the quantity was of (a) electricity and (b) natural gas used by his Department in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Nigel Adams: The usage of electricity and gas-powered heating over the last three financial years is shown below. Type of Utility2015-20162016-2017  2017-2018Electricity31637 KWH44731 KWH38184 KWH*Gas (Heating)90.55 MWH101.62 MWH127.5 MWH *The gas-powered heating is provided by Crown Commercial Services.

Wales Office: Energy

Stuart C. McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what the cost was of (a) electricity and (b) natural gas used by his Department in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Nigel Adams: The cost of electricity and gas-powered heating over the last three financial years is shown below. Type of Utility2015-16 (£)2016-17 (£)2017-18 (£)Electricity6,7785,0045,203*Gas (Heating)8,1138,7527,311 *The gas-powered heating is provided by Crown Commercial Services.

Wales Office: Billing

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what proportion of contracts issued by his Department and contractors include provisions to impose, as between parties to the subcontract, that any payment due from the contractor to a subcontractor under the contract is to be made no later than the end of a period of 30 days from the date on which the relevant invoice is regarded as valid and undisputed, as required by the Public Contract Regulations 2015.

Nigel Adams: The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales receives procurement services from the Ministry of Justice and does not issue contracts directly.

Ministry of Justice

Coroners: Legal Representation

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the annual spend by state bodies for their own legal representation at article two inquests in each of the last five years.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the spend by (a) each Government department and (b) the Government on legal representation at inquests in each year since 2012.

Lucy Frazer: The Ministry of Justice does not hold information about expenditure by other Government departments or state bodies on legal representation at inquests. Any expenditure by the Ministry of Justice on legal representation at inquests would not be separately recorded from other expenditure on legal costs.

Legal Aid Scheme: Human Trafficking

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice,  what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing providing legal aid support to potentially trafficked people to ensure that they are able to make an informed decision on whether to enter the National Referral Mechanism.

Lucy Frazer: The Government has always been clear that publicly-funded immigration legal advice is available for individuals identified as potential victims of trafficking or modern slavery. There is specific legal aid provision for victims of modern slavery and human trafficking for immigration advice and representation, including assistance with applications for leave to enter or remain, subject to means and merits. However, advice on whether to enter the National Referral Mechanism, such as that provided by a first responder or local authority, would not be within the scope of legal aid funding.

Legal Opinion: Refugees

Bambos Charalambous: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment has been made of the ability of sponsors to meet the costs of legal advice on completing refugee family reunion applications.

Lucy Frazer: The Government does not collect data on the private legal costs of individuals to assist with a refugee family reunion application.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of Drug Rehabilitation Requirements granted by courts in (a) England and (b) Wales in each of the last five years.

Lucy Frazer: The table below shows the number of Drug Rehabilitation Requirements (DRRs) commenced under community orders and suspended sentence orders in England and Wales since 2013. There is no available data with a separation of figures for the two countries. YearNumber of DRRs commenced 2013 13,6642014 12,951201511,7802016 9,6982017 8,719We are working with the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and Public Health England to develop a protocol to support greater use of community sentences with treatment requirements (CSTRs) in courts, including DRRs. The CSTR protocol sets out what is expected from all relevant agencies to ensure improved access to treatment for offenders who need it. It focuses on reducing reoffending by addressing the health needs of offenders that may be contributing to their offending behaviour. The protocol is operating across five courts within England (as health is devolved in Wales). These sites are Milton Keynes, Northampton, Birmingham, Sefton and Plymouth.

Cannabis: Rehabilitation

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Drug Rehabilitation Requirements granted in courts in (a) England and (b) Wales have had a condition for testing cannabis in each of the last five years.

Lucy Frazer: Drug Rehabilitation Requirements (DRRs) ordered in courts include a condition for regular drug testing, however these are not specific to a drug. Therefore, the available data is for the number of such treatment requirements granted at courts. The table below shows the number of DRRs commenced under community orders and suspended sentence orders in England and Wales since 2013. There is no available data with a separation of figures for the two countries. YearNumber of DRRs commenced 2013 13,6642014 12,951201511,7802016 9,6982017 8,719 We are working with the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and Public Health England to develop a protocol to support greater use of community sentences with treatment requirements (CSTRs) in courts, including DRRs. The CSTR protocol sets out what is expected from all relevant agencies to ensure improved access to treatment for offenders who need it. It focuses on reducing reoffending by addressing the health needs of offenders that may be contributing to their offending behaviour. The protocol is operating across five courts within England (as health is devolved in Wales). These sites are Milton Keynes, Northampton, Birmingham, Sefton and Plymouth.

Cannabis: Rehabilitation

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Drug Rehabilitation Requirements granted by courts in England have a (a) weekly, and (b) monthly testing condition for cannabis.

Lucy Frazer: Drug Rehabilitation Requirements (DRRs) ordered in courts include a condition for regular drug testing, however these are not specific to a drug and there is no available data with a breakdown of drug testing frequency. This information can only be obtained at disproportionate cost. We are working with the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and Public Health England to develop a protocol to support greater use of community sentences with treatment requirements (CSTRs) in courts, including DRRs. The CSTR protocol sets out what is expected from all relevant agencies to ensure improved access to treatment for offenders who need it. It focuses on reducing reoffending by addressing the health needs of offenders that may be contributing to their offending behaviour. The protocol is operating across five courts within England (as health is devolved in Wales). These sites are Milton Keynes, Northampton, Birmingham, Sefton and Plymouth.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Home Office's news story entitled New fund to support vulnerable EU citizens apply for settled status, published on 25 October 2018, for what reasons that fund has been set up rather than his Department extending provision of legal aid to cover vulnerable EU citizens applying for pre-settled and settled status.

Lucy Frazer: The EU Settlement Scheme will provide a streamlined, user-friendly process, in line with the draft Withdrawal Agreement with the European Union published on 19 March 2018. This scheme will allow resident EU citizens and their family members to apply to obtain the UK immigration status which they will require in order to remain in the UK beyond the end of the planned implementation period on 31 December 2020. For those EU citizens who might need additional help when applying under the scheme, the Home Office have announced a grant scheme for the voluntary and community sector which will help ensure support is available. Legal aid may be available through Exceptional Case Funding, where there is a breach, or risk of a breach, of enforceable EU law or ECHR rights.

Prisoners

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of people being held in prisons by the expected end of this Parliament.

Rory Stewart: Prison population projection data for England and Wales from July 2018 to March 2023, is regularly published by the department and is available online at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/prison-population-projections-ns

Cannabis: Rehabilitation

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Drug Rehabilitation Requirements with cannabis testing conditions on reducing rates of reoffending.

Lucy Frazer: Drug Rehabilitation Requirements (DRRs) include a condition for regular drug testing. However, these are not specific to a drug. There is good evidence from a Ministry of Justice (MOJ)-Public Health England (PHE) data share that community based drug and alcohol treatment can be effective in reducing reoffending. Recently published experimental statistics show that among those who committed an offence in the two years before undergoing drug or alcohol treatment, there was a 33% reduction in the number of offences they committed in the subsequent two years. Forty-four percent of offenders did not go on to reoffend in the subsequent two years following treatment. We are working with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), NHS England and PHE to develop a protocol to support greater use of community sentences with treatment requirements (CSTRs) in courts, including DRRs. The CSTR protocol focuses on reducing reoffending by addressing the health needs of offenders that may be contributing to their offending behaviour. This is operating across five courts within England (as health is devolved in Wales). These sites are Milton Keynes, Northampton, Birmingham, Sefton and Plymouth. DHSC has led an evaluation of the implementation of the protocol across the five sites, looking at aspects of CSTRs that are working well and changes in the use of CSTRs over the evaluation period. The evaluation report will be published early next year.

Prisons: South Yorkshire

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Ministry of Justice secures extra £52 million for targeted expenditure, published in 30 October 2018, how much of the £52 million for targeted expenditure is planned to be allocated to help reduce violence in prisons in South Yorkshire.

Rory Stewart: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Cabinet Office

Cabinet Office: Pay

David Linden: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many staff in his Department are paid less than £10.20 per hour.

Oliver Dowden: In my Department, no staff working outside London are paid less than UK Living Wage of £8.75 per hour and no staff working in London are paid less than the London Living Wage of £10.20 per hour.

Electronic Government: Fraud

Jo Platt: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of spoof emails using the gov.uk suffix in each of the last three years.

Oliver Dowden: It is not possible to send spoof emails from a @GOV.UK domain address, so none have been sent from an address using the @GOV.UK domain since June 2016. This is due to the technical controls in place that prevent the forging of a GOV.UK email address (Sender Policy Framework and Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance). The responsibility for monitoring of fake emails using the GOV.UK suffix is not conducted centrally. Cabinet Office guidance sets out that users receiving fraudulent emails should notify Action Fraud, or in the case of HMRC emails, HMRC's phishing team.

Government Departments: Contracts

Jo Platt: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent estimate he has made of the average day rate paid by the Government for contracted in staff working on digital projects.

Oliver Dowden: The Government Digital Service (GDS) does not hold information on the day rates paid by government departments for contracted in workers on digital projects within government.

Cabinet Office: Billing

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of contracts issued by his Department and contractors include provisions to impose, as between parties to the subcontract, that any payment due from the contractor to a subcontractor under the contract is to be made no later than the end of a period of 30 days from the date on which the relevant invoice is regarded as valid and undisputed, as required by the Public Contract Regulations 2015.

Oliver Dowden: Through the Public Contract Regulations 2015, all public sector buyers must include 30-day payment terms in new public sector contracts; and require that this payment term be passed down the supply chain. Public sector buyers must also publish annually on their payment performance. Government strongly encourages businesses to report poor payment practice and instances of late payment, including late payment through the supply chain, in public sector contracts to its Mystery Shopper service. Mystery Shopper will then investigate

Drugs: Misuse

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people died as a consequence of an overdose or misuse of (a) opioids and (b) cannabis in each of the last 10 years.

Chloe Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

ICT: Skilled Workers

Jo Platt: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to paragraph ten of the Government Document entitled Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre: Review by the National Security Adviser, published in December 2013, what recent assessment the Government has made of the shortage of individuals in the UK employment market with the necessary technical expertise and skills to fill all the available posts in the Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre, GCHQ and the relevant parts of Whitehall.

Mr David Lidington: As set out in their 2018 Annual Report, the Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre Oversight Board noted no causes for concern in the number of staff and their skills.GCHQ keeps up to date with the latest technology and trends in cyber security by engaging with industry, academia and nurturing the next generation of cyber security specialists. We will not comment on GCHQ staffing due to reasons of national security. The Government Security Profession in the Cabinet Office is working closely with the wider public and private sector to shape the Government security profession framework to support HMG staffing levels and manage their cyber skills gaps.

Business: Technology

Jo Platt: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of the funding for digital and technology programmes was allocated to large companies in each of the last four years.

Oliver Dowden: Funding for digital and technology projects is not allocated by supplier or size of company, as all work is put out for tender in accordance with government procurement processes. Since January 2011, as part of the Government’s transparency programme, details of contracts above the value of £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder: https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder.

Minimum Wage

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent estimate she has made of the proportion of (a) men and (b) women in employment who do not receive the national minimum wage.

Chloe Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Response
(PDF Document, 66.82 KB)

Cybercrime

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to help improve the cyber security of public and private sector organisations.

Mr David Lidington: Our world leading National Cyber Security Strategy, supported by £1.9 billion of transformational investment, sets out measures to defend our people, businesses, and assets; deter our adversaries; and develop the skills and capabilities we need.Our experts in the National Cyber Security Centre provide a wide range of guidance and support to help public and private sector organisations improve their resilience to cyber attacks.